Bonds are Forever
by ethmaron
Summary: It's been years since Gregor and his family moved to Virginia. The rest of his family has managed to move on past the Underland, so why can't he? tbh a completely self indulgent fic i just wanna make sure he ends up ok
1. Chapter 1

Gregor didn't dislike the farm. He didn't dislike that he had his own room and that his dad was finally-_finally_-seeming to take inching steps towards recovery. He disliked waking up in the middle of the night in a bed with too much space and in a room with too much room. He disliked waking up on the farm because that meant it was just another day he wouldn't be able to go back. Sometimes, he allowed himself to wish. He wished he could've stayed because Ripred would surely be able to help with the nightmares, even if he complained about it. Luxa would help by being there. But they were both miles and miles away, both across the earth and below it, and there weren't any entries to the Underland here. He still wished, though.

#

"Gregor!"

With a shriek and a pounce onto his chest, Boots was patting his cheek, hands sticky with what smelled like maple syrup. Gregor accepted it all with a laugh, pushing her off gently.

"I'm up, Boots. What is it?"  
"Lizzie said to come get you." Boots says, sitting back on his stomach.

Gregor groans, but nods. "Go tell her I'll be down in a minute."  
With a beaming smile, Boots jumps off of him, and runs down the hall, the sound of her thumping footsteps echoing through the house. Laying back, Gregor tries to remember the dream he had been having. It had been one of the better ones. Where he and Luxa had been together again. More often than sometimes, it was one of the bad ones though.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the unpleasant memories, Gregor gets up and dresses in his unofficial uniform, which consisted of a long sleeve shirt and jeans. Not his choice. But if he wants to avoid the questions and curious looks, long sleeves and pants had to be worn. It didn't do much for the scars on his face, but those were easier to explain. The salve the Underland doctors had given him had eventually run out, so the scars stuck. Sometimes he could get away with wearing short sleeves around the house, but he saw how his mom and everyone else looked at his arms. He knew his mom hated the ones from the giant squid the most. He knew she hated that he had scars at all, but it had really been all his choice in the end. To go back. To protect the Underland. To protect Luxa. Though she didn't need the protection.

Reaching into his pocket, Gregor finds the picture he keeps on himself at all times, unfolding it carefully. The joints were already soft and fraying after one too many foldings, but he held onto it still. It had a younger version of himself and Luxa in it; smiling sadly at the camera. With a sigh, he folds the picture back up, and tucks it back into his pocket before going downstairs.

~  
Boots is shoveling pancakes into her mouth, while Lizzie only pokes at them, taking the occasional bite. When Lizzie spots him, she perks up, smiling.

"Gregor!"  
"Hey, Lizzie." He says with a tired smile. "What's up?"  
"I finished that book you got me. Do you think, um...if you get a chance…"  
He ruffles her hair, laughing. "Yeah. I gotta go out anyway. I'll try to find something."  
Her smile widens, and she giggles. "Thank you!"  
Gregor pulls on his jacket, shoving his feet into the shoes waiting by the door.

"Wait-" Lizzie starts.

"Gregor!" Boots squeals, jumping down from her chair, and running to wrap her arms tightly around his leg.

"What?"

"You have to eat!" She insists. "It's important."  
"I'm not hungry, Boots. I'll eat when I get back, alright?"  
"But-!"  
"Boots," Lizzie says quietly. "It's okay. He won't forget to eat."

Boots releases his leg, returning sullenly to her pancakes, but Gregor can't seem to muster up more than a little bit of guilt. It was going to be one of _those _days, then.

"I'm going."  
The door slams behind him.

#

It was cold outside, but not cold enough that the walk to the bookstore was miserable. His hands are growing warm in his pockets, and he's dimly aware that the slick heat feels like blood. Gregor swears quietly as he wipes his hands on his jeans, refusing to think of all the actual, very real blood that had stained his hands years before. That still did, even if no one but him could see it.

Pushing open the door to the bookstore, the bell jingles, and Gregor isn't sure if he should scream or not, because that's Hazard standing behind the counter.

"Can I help you?"  
Gregor blinks, swallowing hard, shaking his head. "No. Sorry."  
No, because that wasn't Hazard. His skin was too dark, eyes not nearly as vibrant. Gregor heads to the back of the stacks, to the table piled high with discounted books. He shifts through them halfheartedly to try and find a puzzle book for Lizzie, smiling slightly when he finds a crossword one. He tucks it under his arm, and begins to wander the stacks. On bad days, he needed the quiet.

#

"...Mr. Campbell!"

Jolting from his thoughts, Gregor looks up at his teacher, heat scorching his face.

"W-what?"  
"I asked for the answer to number eight."  
He looks up at the board hesitantly, knowing he won't be able to solve it. That would've required him to pay attention for the past three lessons. The numbers and variables on the board make no sense to him, so, with increasing embarrassment, he looks at a point past his teacher's shoulder, and clears his throat slightly.

"I can't."

A disappointed look is the only thing he sees before his gaze is back to the grainy wooden tabletop of the desk, where various things have been drawn by other kids over the years. He wonders if they ever clean them. From the looks of it, probably not. Gregor wasn't normally one to write on the desks, but he finds himself picking up his pencil and carefully scratching the word 'Ares' onto the desktop. Ares. His beloved bond, who had been killed by the Bane. His fault. It was his fault Ares was dead, and would never come back. With a swipe of his thumb, the name is reduced to a smudge on the tabletop, and then he tries-really tries-to pay attention, but he can't. Gregor raises his hand to which the teacher sighs, nodding to him.

"Yes?"  
"Can I go to the bathroom?"  
"...Yes."  
He jumps up, snagging his backpack strap as he runs from the room, and into the hallway. It's cooler out here, and he takes a moment to lean against the cool tiled walls before continuing to the bathroom. Luckily, it's empty.

His bag drops to the ground before he's digging through it, quickly finding what he's looking for. A pen follows the notebook, and he cracks it open to the next fresh page, flipping through the countless pages filled with the Code of Claw. He had had Lizzie help him keep in practice for a while, until she wouldn't do it anymore. Or maybe it had been because his mom told her to stop. Either way, he continued. Keeping a journal of his days since the Underland. If anyone else were to read it, it would be unintelligible; meaningless scribbles in a notebook. But to Gregor, it was almost everything.

#

Ben wasn't a friend, Gregor had decided early on. He had decided to stick himself onto Gregor, and no matter what he did, he wouldn't go away. He had first shown up when Gregor had to reveal his scars in the changing room, when, after a couple months of forged doctor notes, the teachers told him he had to start participating, and he wasn't allowed to change in the bathroom stalls. The first time he took his shirt off, there were immediate whispers. He didn't blame them. They were horrific. He would whisper if they were on someone else, even though he knew it was rude.

When he walked out in shorts and a t-shirt (for the first time in-he couldn't even remember), the other kids had stepped away while the teacher stepped forwards, hurried worried words spilling from their lips.

"Gregor, what happened? How old are those scars? Does your counselor-"

"I'm fine." Gregor had said, feeling extremely awkward. "They're old. They're from a car accident."  
Everyone backed off after that, except for Ben, who had come charging towards Gregor once they were told to pair off, slinging an arm around Gregor's shoulders like they were old friends.

"How the _fuck _did you get those nasty scars?"  
Gregor was, to be honest, completely mortified. He knew they were there, and people had asked what had happened before, but never in the manner that Ben had. All straight to the point and disbelieving of what he saw.

"A car accident." Gregor had repeated.

And even though Gregor had said that, he still through Ben didn't quite believe him.

#

"Dude, why'd you leave math so early?"  
Gregor narrowly misses getting hit in the chest with the ball, and shoves it back towards Ben.

"I had to go to the bathroom."  
Ben scoffs as he catches the ball, pressing it to his side with his arm. "For thirty minutes? I don't think so. There's like, two things I can think of that would take a dude that long, and you didn't have the desperation of either when you ran out."  
Gregor feels his cheeks start to burn as he tugs at the hem of his t-shirt, wishing for just a moment he could smother the other boy without getting in trouble. "You are a complete-"  
He manages to cut himself off before he says anything he truly regrets, which is just as well, as Mr. Wilson chooses that moment to walk over.

"Why aren't you boys practicing?"  
Ben smiles at him, bouncing the ball once against the gym floor, before holding it again. "No worries, Mr. W. Just taking a short break. Gregor was telling me about all his woes."  
Gregor glares at Ben, who only smiles.

"Alright," Mr. Wilson says, his eyes involuntarily drifting to the scars that littered Gregor's body. Horrible. "Don't take too long though. We'll split up into teams in a class or two."  
"Sounds good, Mr. W!" Ben chirps, throwing the ball back to Gregor.

They wait for him to walk away, before Ben rolls his eyes.

"God. That guy is crazy. Anyway. Where'd you really go?"  
Gregor's starting to get irritated, because even though he's not lying, he knows Ben won't believe him.

"Like I said. The bathroom. I was...writing."

Regardless of how weird that sounded, it wasn't a lie. He had been fervently scribbling out paragraphs and paragraphs in the Code, not English, but that was a little detail.

"What're you writing? Diary? Poetry? Please tell me it's not poetry because if it is-"  
"Don't be a dick. It was nothing."  
Ben waves his hand dismissively, smiling. "Whatever. It's that notebook though, yeah?"

Gregor's stomach plummets, and his face must show something, because Ben is backpedaling, the same smile still on his face.

"Chill, dude. I didn't go through it or anything. And I'm not like, spying or anything. I see you at lunch sometimes is all. You're always writing something down in a notebook."  
"Oh." Gregor says, feeling relieved. "Yeah. Whatever. How much longer is class?"  
Ben glances at the clock, squinting as he reads it. "Ten minutes. So, five until we can go change and stuff. Shit. I'm so done with basketball. Give it here, I'll go tell Mr. W you don't feel good or something and you need me to take you to the nurse."  
"I feel fine."  
Plus, he liked being able to wear shorts and t-shirts again.

"No, you don't. You feel awful, like you're gonna die. Let's go."  
Gregor sighs, and reluctantly hands over the basketball.

#

He's falling. Plummeting through a darkness that tears at his clothes and rips his breath from his lungs. Where is he? Falling to the Underland, or falling within the Underland?

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, he thinks, because Ares is dead and he won't catch me and I'll die just like Henry. Ares is dead, and it's all my fault.

Crashing into something soft pushes any and all air left in his lungs out. He fights to stay conscious, because this feels like a bats fur and that means maybe it's-

"Gregor. Do not pass out. You would not want to fall from Aurora's back, would you?"

Aurora, which meant…

Luxa's face pops into view, a smug smile playing on her lips. "I might not be able to hold onto you."  
"_Luxa_." He gasps, shoving himself up and pulling her into a tight hug.

She laughs quietly in his ear, hugging him back.

He pulls back, getting a better look at her. She hasn't changed at all. Until he watches as her eyes blow wide and she gasps for air as purple bumps erupt across her skin, some bursting. She stares at them for a moment, seeming almost confused.

"Gregor?"

He reaches out to grab her, horror twisting his insides painfully, but she tips back as her eyes roll back into her head, and tumbles over the edge of Aurora's back. Gregor isn't sure if the screaming is coming from him or Luxa. He tugs on the bat's fur, trying to make her go after Luxa. After her bond. Because he can't lose her. He _can't._

"Aurora!" He yelled, "What are you doing?"  
The bat twists her head back slightly, revealing ghostly white eyes that saw nothing. "I am taking you to Regalia."  
"No, you can't-Luxa-"  
"It is fine, Overlander. She will be fine."  
He risks a look over, and sees Luxa's body on a rock outcropping. She's fine, he notices. Except for the way she looks completely broken. Except for the way her chest isn't moving.

~  
"Wake up!"

With a choking gasp he sits up in bed, a hand going to cover his mouth. Swinging his legs out of bed, he sprints to the bathroom where he manages to make it to the toilet before he throws up. He's not even sure who woke him up. He manages to click his tounge, illuminating the dark bathroom in that special way that echolocation did, showing him his mom standing in the doorway, reaching for the light switch. He covers his eyes as the lights flick on, momentarily blinding him.

"Gregor, honey, what's wrong?"  
He looks up to her, eyes finally adjusted, ready to make un an excuse so she won't be worried. But he remembers Luxa's body again, and he retches into the toilet again. A cool hand on his forehead pushes his sweaty bangs back, while another starts to rib gentle circles on his back.

"Did you have a nightmare?" She asks softly.

He considers lying. He doesn't want her to worry. But he didn't know what he had been doing to get his mom in his room in the first place, so he figures better not.

"Yeah." He says hoarsely.

"...I figured. You were screaming. Nearly scared your dad half to death."  
Which meant everyone else had probably heard too. Great.

"I'm fine."  
"Gregor, me and your dad have been talking, and…" She looks away from him, to a framed picture of a beach on the wall that they had never been to. "We want to get you some help."  
"What…?"  
She looks embarrassed, like this wasn't how she had planned it to come out. "We want to try sending you to a therapist. Your uncle recommended someone-_Gregor_, wait."

He looked down at her from where he had stood up, his hands shaking. "It's been years since I was last down there," he spits, "Years. And now you want to try and get me help?"  
He can't stop the shaky laugh that bubbles up, because _honestly_. "Even if you could find someone, they would think I'm crazy. Completely insane. No one would believe me if I started spouting off stories about the Underland."  
"Gregor, no, we just thought maybe it would be good for you to try-"  
"No."  
He pushes past her, and runs to his room to shove his feet into his shoes before he grabs a sweatshirt and runs out the door. He pauses only for a moment to pull the sweatshirt on, before he's running. He doesn't have a destination in mind; he doesn't care for long he has to run. He just wants to get away from the house that brings him his nightmares and the idea that someone like him could get better. He was a murderer. If he told people about what he'd done, he would be in jail for the rest of his life. But that's only if they believed him.

The cold bites against his skin as he runs, the freezing air painful in his lungs. He made it to town before he stumbles and trips, his knee skidding across the pavement, stripping away the skin. The sharp smell of blood isn't unfamiliar to him in the slightest, and he's had worse injuries than this before, but he starts crying anyway. His knee starts to throb as the blood drips down his shin; and in a way the pain feels good, because this at least gives him a reason to cry. He looks up as footsteps approach, seeing the boy who looked like Hazard approach him.

"Um." He says uncomfortably. "Are you okay?"  
The wrongness of the question at this point sends Gregor into a fit of laughter, but the boy steps forwards instead of away.

"Your knee looks really bad. My mom's got a first air kid upstairs. How about you come in or something? I can try to help clean it up."  
Gregor nods, forcing himself to stand up, limping towards the boy.

"My name's Elias. Call me Eli, though." Eli squints at Gregor, before he smiles. "Hey! You're that guy who came in the other day! You come in a lot."  
"Yeah."

"Okay. Well, anyway!"  
Gregor follows Eli into the bookstore, sitting down on the stool he's directed to, while Eli runs up the stairs to get the first aid kid.  
A lighter pair of footsteps follows his back down the steps, and an older looking woman comes down with Eli in tow. She looks exactly like him.

"Hello, there." She says in greeting. "I'm Mrs. White. Let's see about getting you fixed up."  
She flicks on some of the lights, and Gregor almost wishes she hadn't, because she chokes on her breath when she sees his bare legs. Eli only stares, a quiet murmured curse his only reaction.

"A-alright, let's, um…" She turns to Eli and whispers something, going back upstairs, looking a bit sick.

Eli shifts uncomfortably, watching her go for a moment, before kneeling down in front of Gregor, opening the first aid kit. "What the hell are these from?" he asks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Gregor replies blandly.

Eli purses his lips slightly, grabbing a wipe from the box. "Try me."  
Gregor hisses at the sting of the wipe against his knee, but Eli is still looking at him expectantly.

"Seriously?" He asks, sighing.

Eli shrugs, wiping at his knee again. "Seriously."  
"The big ones on my legs are from giant ants. The smaller ones are from giant rats."  
Eli hesitates, not saying anything, but continues cleaning up his knee.

"See?" Gregor says accusingly, "You don't believe me."  
With a shrug Eli smooths a bandage over the scrape. "I never said that. My...my sister went and disappeared around seven years ago while she was visiting New York. Never came back, never found a body; if she was dead. Just...gone. Messed us all up pretty bad."  
"I'm sorry."  
But, New York? And the resemblence to Hazard…

"Eli, you're definitely not going to believe me, but I think I may know what happened to your sister. And if I'm right...you've got a nephew."  
Eli's face pales, and he stands up, backing away. "You're lying. They looked for months."  
"Why would I lie about this?" Gregor snaps, standing up. "I have plenty of proof. If she fell to the Underland-"  
"What's the Underland?"  
"It's…" Gregor takes a deep breath, running his hand through his hair, and sitting back down. "It's a long story."  
"Tell me." Eli demands.

Gregor does.

If Eli didn't think that Gregor was a bit crazy to begin with, he definitely thought so now.

"Are you high or something?" Eli finally asks. "What the _fuck_? How am I supposed to believe all that?"  
Gregor doesn't reply, but sits back against the counter, knotting his fingers together.

"You're telling me-you're telling me that I might have a nephew hundreds of feet underneath our feet, and he's not even _human_?"  
"He's a Half-lander." Gregor interjects. "He's human."  
Eli stares at him with wide eyes, shaking his head wildly. "Sorry if I don't exactly believe that when you tell me that there's giant rats and other nightmarish things down there."  
"It is a nightmare." Gregor says tightly, "But he's in a good place. With good people."  
"Right. You mentioned this...Luxa?"  
"Yeah. The queen. A-actually-" Gregor digs in his pocket for a moment, before pulling out the creased photo. "This is her."  
Taking the picture, Eli doesn't miss how Gregor seemed to hold onto it a moment longer than needed.

The picture isn't much to look at. A younger boy who Eli assumes is Gregor has a broken smile on his face; a mirror to the girl who stands next to him. Her eyes are as purple as the veins that show through her skin, and Eli can't help but feel a bit put off. She didn't look human.

He hands it back to Gregor who smooths it out slightly, looking fondly down at it before tucking it away.

"Is there a way I can meet the kid?"  
"Hazard? The only entrances are in New York, I think. So, probably not."  
"I could get there." Eli rushes, "You could be my guide!"  
Gregor strangles down the yes that wants to come out, and forces out a no.

"Why?" Eli asks, looking slightly defeated.

"I don't know if I'd be able to come back."  
The realization startles Gregor more than he cares to admit, and he's gotten to his feet before he registers that he's moving.

"I have to go." he blurts.

"Wait!"

Eli's grip on his arm is tight and Gregor wrenches away before his fingers start to feel too much like vines.

"You can go, I just-I want to talk to you again. How can I contact you? What's your number?"  
"I don't have a phone."

"Are you fucking with me? You're in highschool, right?"  
"So, what? I need to go. I'll come back another day. Thanks for the help."  
Ignoring Eli's protests, Gregor darts out the door, the sting in his knee an almost pleasant distraction from everything that was going through his head. He didn't want to think about going back. Back to where everything and nothing made sense. Back to Luxa. And what if Hazard really was Eli's nephew? That meant that Eli's sister really was dead, and that Hazard had more family he didn't even know about. And Gregor was the only one who knew enough to be able to tell him that. But he couldn't go back. Because he wouldn't be able to leave again. He would be able to wear the clothes he wanted without fear of prying questions, and he would be able to see everyone else again. He could visit Ares' grave.

At the thought of Ares, Gregor's heart gives a painful twinge, and he stumbles in the dark. So he tucks the Underland and any related thoughts to the back of his head. Right now, he just needed to get home.

He bursts through the door, startling his mom and dad who are both sitting at the kitchen table. He stops dead in the doorway, staring at them, before taking a ragged breath, and running past them and up the stairs.

"Gregor!" His mom yells, "Come back here!"  
He doesn't.

Instead, he continues into his room, shutting the door and locking it behind him. He easily makes his way to his bed in the dark room, shedding his shoes and other various layers as he lays down, holding the photograph tightly in his hand.

He would deal with the consequences tomorrow, he decides. He just wants to think. Think about the possibility of going back. Going back to Regalia seems like a dream. A nightmare. He just wants to sleep, he thinks finally. He's so tired and his legs ache after all that running. So Gregor puts the photograph down, and closes his eyes, trying to get his brain to quiet.

Gregor is still trying to fall asleep when there's a knocking at the door the next morning. He tugs on a shirt, and goes to unlock it, opening the door to Boots. She giggles and grins up at him, before grabbing his wrist and pulling him along with her.

"Where are we going, Boots?" Gregor asks with a sleepy laugh.

"Mama's gonna take us to the city!"  
Gregor's stomach clenches, but he lets her pull him along until they stop in the kitchen. Their mom is sitting at the table with the other adults, a steaming cup of coffee clutched in her hands.

She looks up when they walk in, a tired smile gracing her features. "You're up."  
Gregor stares at her for a moment, before shifting his feet slightly, as Boots runs to sit besides their dad, tugging on his arm and saying something.

"I never got back to sleep." He finally says.

Boots is gathering things for cereal, their dad trailing behind her to help.

"Boots says we're going into the city." Gregor says flatly.

His mom nods hesitantly. "We have an appointment for you to go to."  
He tries to control the wave of anger that rushes over him. He does. So he's not too proud when he walks past them, jamming his feet into a pair of boots at the door and grabbing a jacket before he storms out the door.

He walks out to the old pasture that held nothing but grass and flowers and weeds, and climbed the fence, walking towards the woods on the other side. He clambers over the fence on the other side, standing at the edge of the woods, looking into the dark expanse of branches and leaves. It had always reminded him just a little bit too much of the jungle in the Underland. Just different. Cold and tall and lifeless compared to the jungle. Gregor takes a hesitant step towards the woods, reaching out and touching the cold bark of one of the trees. He trails his fingers down the roughness, letting his hand fall to his side after. It's quiet, but so loud. The chirping of birds and the scuttle of creatures in the underbrush echo in the quiet morning, as the sun works to dispel the permanent chill in the air. He sighs, watching his breath turn white before it disappears. Calm. It was calm. It was okay.

When he arrives back to the house, his Uncle is still sitting at the kitchen table.

"Gregor." He says.

Gregor decides not to respond, and instead goes to get himself a cup of water.

"I argued in your favor, you know."  
Gregor is surprised. He had doubted his Uncle would even get involved, but he went against his mom for him.

"You're only fifteen. I don't pretend to know anything that you went through, but…"  
Gregor turns to him, watching as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"I know you're a strong kid. You want to try and figure it out yourself, yeah?"  
Gregor sits down at the table across from him, giving him a wary look. "Yeah."  
"You miss that place, don't you?"  
Gregor fidgets, cracking his knuckles nervously. "I guess."  
"Can't you visit? The entrance is in New York, right? Couldn't you go and stay a night and then come back?"  
Gregor shakes his head, pushing the water glass away, no longer thirsty.

"I don't think I could come back."  
His uncle looks confused. "Why?"  
"It...I had a hard enough time leaving the first time. I don't think I could do it again. I don't really have a place there anymore. How...what all did my parents tell you?"  
"The basics. You went on various quests for Reglias-"  
"Regalia." Gregor interrupts.

His uncle nods once. "Right. Regalia. You went on quests for Regalia, to save the people and whatnot. You got hurt along the way, and not all of your friends made it."  
Ares. Hamnet. Frill. Tick. Twitchtip. And too many more.

Gregor nods as he picks at his nail. "That's about the tamest version I've ever heard, but yeah."  
"Do you want to talk about it?" His uncle asks softly. "I don't mind listening."  
Gregor considers for a moment, before shaking his head. "No. Not now, at leasts. There's something I need to do."  
"Be careful, Gregor."

"I will."

##

"Dude!"  
He jerks towards the voice just in time to get a face full of basketball. His nose erupts in pain, and blood drips down his chin a moment later.

Ben runs over, growing panic on his face-Mr. Wilson in tow.

"Shit, shit, shit! I'm so sorry!"

Mr. Wilson frowns at Ben's language, but tells him to take Gregor to the nurse. Ben doesn't protest, and grabs Gregor's arm, dragging him from the gym. Ben ducks into the bathroom to grab a wad of paper towels that he shoves in Gregor's face, not waiting to see if he stops to hold them in place.

"You've been completely out of it this week, man. What's up with you?"

Gregor shrugs, avoiding looking at Ben.  
"I'm fine."  
"Okay, I'll pretend like I believe that, but didn't that _hurt_? You got smashed in the face by a basketball, dude! And it wasn't exactly a soft throw."  
Gregor shrugs again, adjusting the wad of paper towels. "Let's just go to the nurse. I've had worse injuries than this before."  
So they walk in silence. Ben is quiet the entire time, which is weird.

When they make it to the nurse's office, Ben goes straight to a chair, and slumps down, rubbing at his eyes, while the nurse checks Gregor's nose.

"It's not broken." She says. "Just looks like a bloody nose. Just keep tissues on it and wait for it to stop bleeding."  
"Okay. Thanks." Gregor says, turning to leave.

Ben jumps up to follow him, his normal energy suddenly back. He turns and gives a loose salute to the nurse, grinning.

"Bye, Ms. Martin!"  
She laughs, waving goodbye to them.

Mr. Wilson instructs Gregor to sit out and watch when they return to the gym, which is fine by Gregor. He's started thinking about the Underland again. More specifically-Hazard. If Gregor couldn't go down, maybe Hazard could come up. He would be about eleven at this point...right? But that's still really young, Gregor thinks. A small part of his mind whispers that Gregor was that old when everything started, but he ignores it. He would just need to get a note down there. He could use one of the scouts. It shouldn't be an issue. He needed to go see Eli this week, otherwise, he was a little worried about what he might do.

The rush of kids to go to the locker room knocks Gregor from his thoughts as he gets up to follow them to the changing room. He would figure this out later after he'd had some rest, he decides.

##

The door chimes as Gregor steps into the store, and Eli perks up as soon as he sees him.

"You're here! I was starting to think you were gone for good."  
"I couldn't find a time to come," Gregor lies. "I was busy."  
"Oh. Okay. Anyway, so? What's the deal?"  
Gregor takes a breath, squeezing his hand into a tight fist by his side. "I'll take you."  
Eli's eyes light up and a smile breaks across his face. "Seriously? Yes! We can take a train or something. I'll take care of the travel costs. Actually, maybe by car? I'll talk to my mom and see if we can take it. When can we go?"  
Gregor thinks of the fact that his parents won't know about this trip. That they never will.

"This weekend."  
Eli flashes a quick grin and runs a quick hand through his hair, leaving it a mess of curls. "Okay. Okay, sweet. That's like, in a couple of days?"  
Gregor nods, guilt already festering in his gut that he was going to be so majorly lying to his parents.

"Come back tomorrow, yeah?" Eli asks, "I'll try to get the car from my mom, and we can pack some stuff if we need it."  
"Wait," Gregor says, finally realizing. "You can drive?"  
Eli nods, waving behind Gregor with a bright smile as someone else walks in. "Yeah. For a few months legally. You can't?"  
Gregor shrugs. "I'm not sixteen."  
Eli looks at him again, frowning. "Really? How old were you went under?"  
Under?

"You mean the Underland? I was eleven."

"Oh."

"...Is that it?" Gregor asks.

Eli nods, leaning up against the counter. "Yeah. You gonna stay?"  
Gregor hesitates a moment, before nodding. "My sister wanted a new puzzle book. I said I'd get her one if I came."  
"If? You weren't gonna come?"  
Gregor mutters a non-committal response, walking away to go back to the discounted books. He shuffles through them until he finds a book full of anagrams and other puzzles. Perfect.

##

To say that he felt bad would be an understatement.

It was the night before he was leaving-escaping?-to go to New York, and he felt like he was going to be sick. His bag was packed with flashlights, a pocketknife he had found, two waterbottles, extra batteries, granola bars, and, of course, a roll of duct tape. He had thrown his notebook and pen in for good measure, because he was only sending a note. So he wasn't sure why he had packed everything else. It also excluded what Eli had packed.

"Gregor?"  
Gregor looks up at his uncle from the couch he was currently sprawled across, flushing at the raised eyebrow look he got.

"Yeah?"  
"Are you okay?"  
Gregor sits himself up, shoving his hands into his sweatshirt pocket, clenching them into fists. "Yeah. I'm good. Why?"  
His uncle frowns, propping his arms up on his legs as he knits his hands together. "I'm just worried. You've been awfully quiet these past couple days. Did something happen at school? I know I'm not your mom or dad, but I'm still here if you need me."

"I know." Gregor says with a tight smile. "But honestly, I'm okay."  
He tries not to seem rude as he stands. "I'm tired." He says. "I'm just gonna…" He gestures towards the stairs as he starts to move towards them, not waiting for his uncle's response. He just hoped he'd actually be able to get some sleep tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up to a crushing weight on his chest isn't exactly Gregor's idea of a good start, but if that weight was Boots, it couldn't be too bad.

"Gregor! Up!"  
With a groan, he gently pushes Boots off, sitting up to look at her properly. "I'm up, crazy girl. What is it?"  
"Can we go to the park? Mama said she can't, so you can take me."

His stomach twists, and he pulls Boots into a hug. "How about tomorrow? I've gotta go somewhere today."  
She pushes away from him, gazing up at him curiously. "Where? I wanna come with you, Gregor!"  
"Not this time, Boots."  
She crosses her arms, and sticks her bottom lip out, giving him a reproachful look. "Gregor!"  
A slow smile breaks across his face, which only makes Boots pout more. "What?" she demands. "What?"

"Nothing," Gregor laughs. He pushes the covers back and gets up, swooping Boots up and setting her on the ground with a grunt. "You're getting too big for that."

She huffs indignantly, before stomping around his room while he pulls on a t-shirt and sweatshirt.

"Gregor, you're too slow!" She complains. "Let's go! The sooner you come home, the faster we can go to the park."

He reaches to ruffle her hair, laughing at her shriek. Gregor grabs his backpack, ushering Boots out of his room and into the hallway, telling her to hush before she wakes everyone else up. Her reply was that is everyone was awake, she didn't need to be quiet. He hushes her anyway. Boots relents, lowering her voice to a dramatic stage whisper that has Gregor rolling his eyes.

She sits at the table with him while he forces down a bowl of cereal, chattering away about the book she was currently reading. Something about a unicorn. Gregor couldn't focus on a word of it. He was too busy worrying that his mom or dad would come down and see his bad and somehow connect the dots that he was going back.

Boots tugging on his sleeve makes him realize he's been staring blankly into his now soggy cereal for the past few minutes.

"Gregor, what's wrong?"  
He smiles what he hopes is a reassuring smile, and stands up, collecting his dirty dishes to put in the dishwasher. "Nothing. I'm okay. You should tell Lizzie about your book when she wakes up."  
Boots grins, showcasing her gappy smile. When had she lost her teeth? Gregor couldn't remember.

An empty feeling washes over him, and the smile he was wearing fell away, replaced by a feeling of complete exhaustion.

He shoulders his bag, opening the door and walking out. Boot hands onto the doorknob as she watches him go to the steps. He can see Eli's car coming up the drive.

Gregor half wishes he can bring her with him-she's always been with him on his Underland journeys. But, he forces himself to remember, you're not actually going down.

He turns back to Boots, a sudden anxiety gnawing away at him. "You gonna be okay?" He asks. "Until mom or someone else wakes up?"  
She nods quickly, her eyes shining in the early morning light. His heart squeezes in his chest, and he steps back to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, before running down the steps to meet Eli. Gregor looks back to see Boots wipe her forehead, her face scrunched up. He laughs to himself, turning back to Eli. He opens the door, climbing in.

"Good morning!" Eli chirps. "Ready for the trip?"

"Yeah."

Eli shifts the car into drive, and then they're off. It feels strangely exhilarating, Gregor thinks. To be off towards the Underland again-even if it's multiple hours away.

Eli looks over to him, and smiles. "This feels totally crazy. A part of me feels like I shouldn't believe you for a second, and tell you that you're completely insane, but another part feels like this is what's right."  
Gregor doesn't respond, only turning to the glance out the window at the landscape that's beginning to zip past.

"How…" Eli pauses, long enough that Gregor looks over, only to find him gnawing on his lower lip. "How did you manage it?" He finally asks.

"Manage what?"  
Eli shrugs, not taking his eyes off the road. "Everything. I can't...I honestly can't stop thinking about everything that happened to you sometimes. I don't know how you can even continue in normal life and stuff. I'd have gone crazy."  
"Sometimes I think it was a dream." Gregor admits carefully. "When I close my eyes I can sometimes think it was all a dream until…"  
Until he sees his body. Until he looks at that picture of him and Luxa, and until he thinks he'll go crazy from the nightmares of the things he did down there. Of the dead that still haunt him, even though it had been long enough that he should've let go by now.

"...Until what?"

Gregor startles out of his thoughts, and hopes Eli doesn't see his trembling hands as he shoves them under his thighs. "Until I remember it was all real and stuff."  
It was all real. Right. Nothing would ever change that. Of course, Gregor was glad he had met Luxa-that he got the chance to fall in love with her. That he could meet Ares and Tick and Temp and Hazard. Hamnet and Howard and Mareth. Even Ripred. So many people. Some still hopefully alive, while others were already gone. But they had all been important to him.

Gregor sighs, sitting back and letting his head loll against his shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Maybe he would still be playing saxophone if he had never gone down. He would still be in New York. But his dad would still be gone. Probably be dead, because Gregor wouldn't have saved him. There were too many things to consider.

"Gregor, you can sleep if you want. We've got a long drive ahead of us."  
"Yeah, okay." He mumbles.

He jerks awake at the violent shaking, looking blearily around to find the source. He only sees countryside and other cars racing by for a moment, before he looks to Eli, who's hand is on his shoulder. Eli himself looks scared.

"What?" Gregor asks.

"I-I had to pull over to wake you up. Sorry. You were like, crying so I-"

Gregor stares at him, feeling his face grow warm. Not bothering to hide his shaking hands, his mouth twists into a mockery of a smile as his eyes flutter shut.

"Shit. Sorry. I'll stay awake."  
Eli gives Gregor a look that Gregor can't decipher, but nods anyway, and pulls back out onto the highway. They sit in silence, until Eli ventures to break it.

"Are they bad?"  
"Are what bad?"

"The nightmares."  
Gregor presses his lips together, trying to remember what this one had even been about. He couldn't remember. "Yeah."

Eli doesn't say anything else, but tunes the radio to some pop station, and turns it up.

##

They get there by two, and to the park shortly after. The cold that bites them through their coats helps keep the park mostly deserted, and Gregor leads the way to the entrance, almost unable to believe that they were there. That Luxa was so close, yet still so far away.

"You gotta help me move the rock," Gregor says over his shoulder as the entrance comes into view. Gregor waits for Eli before they shove the rock to the side, and step through. They manage to drag the stone shut behind them, sealing them into the darkness. Gregor clicks, showing himself the corridor. Eli is rummaging in his bag, muttering to himself, before he makes a sound of triumph, and there's a flashlight beam directly in Gregor's eyes.

"Whoops! Sorry!" Eli laughs. He shines it towards the ground, before looking up to Gregor. "Um...aren't you gonna get your flashlight out?"  
"Oh. I don't need it." Gregor says, starting down the corridor.  
"What? What do you mean you don't need it? Are you like a cat or something?"  
"Echolocation."  
Eli's footsteps stop following him, and Gregor turns, finding him with a disbelieving look on his face. "Seriously? That's so cool!"  
"Yeah. It took a while to learn though."  
"What do you have to do?"

"Click. Or just any other sound. I used to kinda be able to do it when I breathed."  
"That's _sick_. Do you think I could learn it?"  
Gregor shrugs, starting to walk again. "I guess. I dunno."

"Oh, _gross_."

Gregor suppresses a sigh as he turns back to Eli. "What?"  
"There's cockroaches."  
"That's actually good. Let's go until the opening or so, and then we can send the note."

"So what exactly are we writing here?" Eli asks, craning his neck to try and see Gregor's notebook.

Gregor glares at him and angles it away, flipping to a fresh page that he finally lets Eli see.

"Oh! Got it," Eli says, "Let's just say, 'Please send Hazard to the Central Park entrance. His possible Uncle wants to meet him.'"

Gregor turns to him with an incredulous look. "You're kidding, right?"  
Eli looks a bit confused, as if it was obvious he wasn't. "No. Just say what we need to say and all that."  
Gregor doesn't get a chance to respond to that, because a scrape against the stone fills the momentary silence of the tunnel. Gregor is on his feet before he realizes it, hand grabbing the pocket knife from his bag and flicking it open. He realizes it's not a very good weapon, but it's better than nothing. But he relaxes when a long leg creeps into the light, accompanied by the face of Temp.

Eli shrieks from behind Gregor dropping the flashlight and sending it rolling across the floor. It settles facing Temp, illuminating his face, which does nothing to stop Eli's screaming.

"Will you shut up?" Gregor snaps.

Eli obediently shuts his mouth, nodding mutely; though he looked like he was about to pass out.

"Why Overlander here, why here?" Temp asks, his antennae waving slightly.

Gregor steps towards Temp, happiness bubbling up inside him at the sight of the roaches face.

"I'm so glad to see you, Temp."

"Gone is Princess? Princess?"

"Boots is at home," Gregor replies, feeling guilty as Temp seems to wilt. "We're not-we need to talk to Hazard. Wait, how did you even know we were here?"  
"Am I the only one," Eli interrupts, "Horrified by the fact that you're talking to a huge cockroach, and that it's talking back?"  
Gregor bristles, glaring at Eli. "Temp is not an _it_. Temp is a he. And most all the people in the Underland can talk. Plus, you knew about it before we even came here."  
"Yeah, but that's different than actually seeing it, dude!"  
Gregor sighs, turning back to Temp.

"Overlander friends tell us. They talk to us, they talk."

Gregor shouldn't be surprised. The gnawers could talk with the rats, so it made sense that everyone else could talk or communicate with their Overland counterparts too.

"The gnawer knows, he knows." Temp continues. "Here he is, he here."  
Gnawer. Who was it? He can hear the scritch of nails on stone, and his mind is suddenly so so clear as he adjusts the pocket knife in his hand. His vision narrows in on an X on a narrow face.

"Put it down, Gregor." Ripred snaps. "I don't want to fight you. It would only be a waste of time and you would make a fool of yourself."  
"Ripred." Gregor can't hide the relief in his voice at seeing him.

Eli squeaks from behind him, catching Ripred's attention.

"Who's this? Decided to change your usual company?"

"He can talk-" Eli says faintly.

"He can also bite." Ripred sneers, snapping his teeth at him.

Eli takes several steps back, mumbling something to himself that Gregor ignores.

"Why are you here?" Ripred asks, turning back to Gregor. "And I told you to put that thing down."

His tail comes around to smack his hand, but Gregor's body is ahead of his mind, and he twists away from the hit, clutching the knife tighter.

Ripred laughs-a sound that's grating and rough. "You've still got it in you! Haven't been able to bury that part away? Because you won't be able to."

The ridges of the handle dig into Gregor's palm. "I know." He spits. "I know it's never going away."  
Ripred flicks his paw dismissively, his eyes narrowing in on Gregor. "So again, why are you here?"

"Because I found Hazard's maybe uncle. Figured he'd want to meet him. Eli wants to meet him."  
"I do." Eli says meekly from behind Gregor.

Ripred cocks his head slightly, as if thinking. "You sure that's the only reason?"  
"Yes."

"Not you wanting to come back? Do your parents know you're here? Or did you sneak away to come?"  
When Gregor doesn't respond, Ripred let's his mouth drop open in feigned surprise. "Overlander? You didn't. Oh, I'm sure you won't be allowed to go anywhere once you go back."  
"Gregor?" Eli asks quietly. "You said your parents said it was okay. I wouldn't have brought you if I knew they said no…"

"Even your new Overlander friend knows!" Ripred chuckles, "Say goodbye to any freedom you had before."

"Can we go to Hazard or not?" Gregor asks, trying to take deep breaths to calm down.

"I'm sure you could."

Gregor gives himself five seconds to compose himself, realizing he didn't miss this part of Ripred at all.

"Ripred. Please."  
"There's the manners! I knew you had them in there somewhere. I suppose I could go ask Luxa for a bat…"  
"Thank you."

"If you give me a good enough reason."  
Before Gregor can even formulate a response, Eli is stepping forwards.

"H-hey. He asked nicely. Why can't you? I want to meet him. He's family, after all."  
Ripred creeps forward, and Temp skitters back further into the shadows. Ripred stops a couple feet from Eli, rearing up onto his hind legs, considering. Eli looks terrified, but he doesn't move-either from bravery or sheer stupidity, Gregor doesn't know-but he stands his ground. Lowering a paw to rest on his shoulder, Ripred curls his claws until they poke through Eli's shirt, pricking his skin. He winces as Ripred bares his teeth, stumbling away as soon as he releases him.

"Wait here." Ripred commands. "I'll bring back what you need."  
Gregor nods tensely, watching Ripred and Temp both disappear back into the gloom.

~  
By the time Ripred returns, Gregor and Eli had gathered all their things up, and were waiting for him. Whatever Gregor was expecting, it wasn't the complete absence of Hazard, and the presence of two bats.

"Where is he?" Gregor demands.

Ripred waves his paw, sighing. "I told you I'd bring what you needed. And you need to _go _to Regalia if you want to meet with Hazard. Luxa would never allow it otherwise."  
Gregor's heart twists at the mention of Luxa. He could see her. But that meant he would have to go back, and that meant riding a bat and too many other things.

"Ripred." Gregor pauses, wondering if it was okay to say in front of the bats and Eli. Whatever, he decides. "I can't go back. Not to Regalia. Or anywhere else. This is as far as I can go."  
Ripred gives him an appraising nod, before going over to one of the bats, and whispering something to them. The bat seems surprised, but dives out of the passage into the air above the Waterway.

"Thank you, Ripred." Gregor says. Relief that Ripred wasn't going to fight him on this lifted a weight from his shoulders. "I'll write a note for Eli to take with him. He can talk to Hazard and then come back and-"

He's cut off by Ripred's tail swishing at his feet, not tripping him, but knocking him unbalanced. In a smooth move, Ripred swings him over his shoulder and throws him through the opening to the Waterway. He thinks he hears Eli yelling something, but can't really hear anything over his own screaming and pure blind terror. It takes him a moment to realize he didn't fal into the water. That he didn't drown and die and that this wasn't his nightmares. The bat that caught him is saying something, but Gregor can only hear a dim ringing in his ears and feels the sobs wracking his body. He grips the bat's fur tightly enough that he thinks he might pull it out, but somehow doesn't. They're flying slowly, drifting over the Waterway, and Gregor turns his head to see Eli zip past. He's yelling in either excitement or fear. Maybe a bit of both.

"Overlander, are you okay?"  
Gregor doesn't respond, only feels the shift in the bat's body as they turns their neck to look at him.

"I am called Phobos. I will not drop you, Overlander. If you could loosen your hold a bit though, it would be more comfortable…"  
Gregor manages to loosen his grip painstakingly slowly, until he hears Phobos sigh.

"Thank you, Overlander."  
"My name is Gregor."

"Gregor. You can relax. I will not drop you."  
"I trust you. My body doesn't, though."  
Even to Gregor, that makes no sense. But Phobos only lets out a chirping noise Gregor thinks might be laughter. "Very well, Overlander."  
"It's _Gregor_. That's my name. Call me by my name."

"How do you know Ripred, Gregor?"  
No use in lying.

"We fought in the war together."  
Phobos' wings flutter for a moment, and Gregor's fingers tighten before Phobos evens out again. "The war?"  
"Yes." Gregor says.

"But...you are so young."

"Fiteen."  
"Gregor-"  
"It was a long time ago, Phobos."

"Is that why you were screaming? You were also crying."  
Gregor's face heats, and he takes a deep breath. "Wow, really? I didn't notice. Thank you _so _much for pointing that out."  
"I did not mean to upset you." Phobos grumbles.

Gregor doesn't reply, and instead buries his face into the bat's fur. If he doesn't think about it too hard, it could be Ares. It could be Ares and they could be flying with Luxa beside them on Aurora, and everything was okay. Because he forgot how freeing flying felt, and Ares was alive and with him and-

"We are almost there, Gregor."  
He picks his head up, the glowing lights of Regalia approaching on the horizon. He would murder Ripred later, he decides. Set a trap with that stupid shrimp in cream sauce he loved so much.

The city flashes beneath them as they fly over, until they swoop into the High Hall and land gently on the floor. Gregor slides off Phobos' back to the ground, and thanks him quietly. In the better light, Gregor can see Phobos is a mottled white and black with black voids for eyes.

Eli is talking animatedly with the bat who carried him, and the bat seems just excited about whatever Eli is talking about. Any of Eli's earlier fears seemed to have disappeared.

"Gregor?"  
Oh god. He wasn't ready.

Gregor turns slowly, wondering what four years had done to her.

"Luxa."  
She's beautiful. She's wearing typical Underland garb-a loose shirt belted at the waist and tighter pants-good for flying, and her golden circlet on her brow. Her hair had grown out as well. It hangs in a braid similar to what Gregor first saw her with, but it only swung to her mid back now.

"Why are you here?" Her voice is tight, and she doesn't look like she knows whether or not to be happy. Gregor hopes she goes for happy.

"Hazard. Ripred should be here soon I guess."  
She walks closer to him, and he notices the dagger on her belt. He shouldn't be surprised.

"What about Hazard?" She asks.

"Uh. I think that that's his uncle," Gregor says, gesturing to ELi, who was now examining the bat's stretched out wing.

Luca stares at Eli for a moment, before she clenches her jaw. "Explain."  
"Can we sit and down and talk?"  
She pauses for a moment, before nodding, her eyes softening slightly. "Of course."

Gregor slumps into the cushions set out on the floor, Eli blabbering away at his side. Luxa sits criss-cross across from him, her posture rigid as she looks at him.  
"Okay," Gregor starts. "So, apparently, like, however many years ago or whatever, Eli's sister disappeared in New York. They never found anything about her disappearance, and there's the fact that Eli kinda looks exactly like Hazard. Except older."

"And darker." Luxa adds.

"Yeah," Gregor sighs. "And darker."  
Luxa stands, crossing her arms across her chest. "If you can tell me Hazard's mothers name, I can confirm it. Otherwise, something else happened to your sister."  
Gregor nudges Eli, who had gone quiet.

"Sara. Her name was Sara."

Luxa stiffens, and a furious look flashes across her face for a moment, before her hands relax to her sides. "I will fetch him."

She disappears through the doorway, and as soon as she's gone, Eli turns to Gregor, looking anxious. "What if he doesn't like me? Gregor, what if he wants nothing to do with me?"  
Gregor gives his arm an awkward pat, offering a smile. "You'll be fine."

Hazard comes bursting through the doorway a few moments later, his eyes bright. He breaks out into a mixture of squeaks and English and various other noises that gives Gregor pause, before he can realize he's rambling in a mixture of Underland languages. Luxa enters behind him, and puts a hand on his shoulder, smiling slightly.

"Gregor!" Hazard finally says. "You are back! Is Boots with you? Luxa said there was someone here to meet me and I-" His eyes finally land on Eli, and he stares openmouthed.

Eli equally silent.

"Who are you?" Hazard asks. "I have never seen another Underlander with green eyes. Are you a Halflander too?"  
Eli stares at him a moment longer, before he shakes his head and clears his throat. "Uh, no. I'm your, um, your uncle."  
Hazard's eyes widen and he steps closer to Eli. "What?"  
"Your mom was my sister. So, I'm your uncle."  
"I…" Hazard looks back to Luxa who nods ever so slightly. "You are related to my mom?"  
"She was my sister."  
"But she's gone."

Eli looks like he's about to cry. "I know." He says quietly.

Hazard sits down next to Eli slowly, like he still wasn't sure about him. "Why are you here?"

Gregor tunes them out as they begin to talk, and instead shuffles to his feet and goes to Luxa.

"How are you?" He asks.

She looks at him, before wrinkling her nose. "You smell. You should bathe. Your friend as well."

Gregor blushes, taking a slight step back. "Well, I was in a car all day. I showered last night!"  
She quirks a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I am joking, Gregor. It is good to see you. I missed you."

Gregor can't help the smile that comes to his face, and he reaches out and lets himself touch her arm for a moment before pulling away. "I missed you too."

They look at each other for a moment longer, before Gregor clears his throat and glances away. "A-anyway! Has Ripred come back yet? I need to talk to him."  
"I do not know. I can ask someone if you want. Why?"  
"Because I have to kill him."  
Luxa looks alarmed, grabbing his wrist tight enough that it hurts. "Gregor, you _cannot_."

He shakes off her grip, giving a brief smile. "Relax. I'm only kinda kidding. He threw me out over the Waterway, so I'm a little mad."  
Her mouth twists with irritation and she crosses her arms tightly across her chest. "Why would you not just jump? You had a bat, yes?"  
"Because I couldn't."

Raising an eyebrow, her finger taps against her arm slightly. "Why not?"  
"No reason. I need to find Ripred."  
"I will come with you." She announces.

"That's okay. I said I wasn't gonna kill him." Gregor sighs.

"I want to come with you, Gregor." Luxa says.

"Oh." he says, surprised. "Hey, uh, Eli, we'll be back, yeah?"  
Eli looks up, and nods, before he turns back to Hazard, smiling.

They end up back in the High Hall, where Phobos is still standing.

Seeing Phobos triggers something in Gregor that he can't identify, and he's suddenly rapid fire blinking tears back. Luxa notices.

"Gregor…?"  
"Can we go?"  
Her eyes harden, and she nods, stepping towards Phobos.  
"What is your name?"  
Phobos glances to her, and then to Gregor.

"Phobos, your Highness."

"Phobos. Luxa is fine. You can carry both me and the Overlander?"

"Yes. Of course."  
Luxa signals to Gregor, climbs onto Phobos' back, followed by Luxa.

"Where do you want to go?" Luxa asks.

Gregor's mind blanks. Where else was there? But…

He whispers his destination to Phobos, who nods, and takes off. He just hopes Ares forgives him for bringing Phobos.

#

When they reach Ares' cave, it's all Gregor can do to slide off his back before he bursts into tears. He slides down in a corner, the chill from the rock seeping through his sweatshirt. He pulls his hood up, wiping angrily at his eyes. He can hear Luxa's tapping footsteps approach, and then she's sitting besides him.

"Gregor, what is wrong?"  
He shakes his head, wishing his brain would just _stop_ for a minute.

"Luxa, we've both killed people."  
She hesitates before answering. "Yes. But it was a war."  
"I don't even remember how many things I've killed down here. I'm a murderer, Luxa. Everyone knows it."

"It was a _war_. You must kill or die trying."  
"It doesn't _matter_!" Gregor chokes out. "That's the crazy thing, Luxa!"  
He finally looks up to her, and the worry on her face cracks his heart.

"The crazy thing is that it doesn't matter if I fought in the stupid war! I was a twelve year old murder who got his bond killed and I didn't even get to follow him! I had to be stitched back together when I could've joined him and-" He can barely breath. His breaths tear raggedly at his throat as the tears streak down his cheeks. Luxa wordlessly takes his hand, holding it tightly. "I wish I could've joined him." Gregor says hoarsely.

There's silence in the cave.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. I've never told anyone that! What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Gregor, you must calm down."  
"Look at me! Such a great fighter! Terrified of flying on a bat! Scared of heights and drowning in the Waterway! Luxa, he should have killed me. I'm living on borrowed time that's gonna expire as soon as people figure out what I am."

She drops his hand, and pulls him into a tight hug. His lungs aren't working right anymore, so he just focuses on drawing breath after breath, while Luxa gently rubs his back.

"If your time is borrowed than I will give you the time of those that try to take it. You will borrow enough time to live, Gregor."

He sniffles and takes a deep shuddery breath that hurts, but his head feels clearer. He pulls away from Luxa, trying to smile, but failing miserably. He's surprised to see the start of tears in her eyes, but she blinks and then they're gone. Maybe he imagined them, he thinks.

"It will be okay, Gregor." Luxa says, patting his arm.  
He sighs shakily, wiping away the last of his tears. He hoped so.

#

When they return to the palace, Luxa sends him to the baths to clean up, where he ends up spending more time than he would've wanted. But he had a headache from all his earlier crying, and all he wanted to do was sleep. But someone comes in eventually and tells him he's being summoned by the Queen. Luxa, then. So he gets out and gets dressed, not sparing a second glance to the scars he sees in the mirror. He leaves the bathing room, giving the messenger a smile, and asks where to go.

~  
He finds her in the smaller dining room, sitting with Ripred, Hazard, and Eli. Gregor notices Eli had already changed (and presumably bathed) into Underland clothes, and was talking with Hazard, still smiling. When Gregor stepped in, Luxa looked up and gave him a quick smile.

"You are here."  
"Yeah."  
He lets himself drop down next to Luxa, and stared at the food that covered the table. As soon as Luxa made a move for it, Ripred dove in with his normal gusto. Gregor couldn't even bring himself to be disgusted by his manners. He was nervous about why they where all gathered here. Because if they planned to let them leave, they wouldn't have made them bathe.

Luxa glances towards Gregor, who was still looking at the rapidly disappearing food in front of him. His plate remained empty.

"Do you feel unwell, Gregor?" She asks cautiously.

"I just need some fresh air," Gregor mumbles, standing and escaping out the door.

He makes it down a couple corridors to where he hoped an entrance to the outside was, when he ran into someone. He stumbled back, an apology already falling from his mouth.

"I'm so sorry, I was just…"

He ran out of words as he looks at them.

"Mareth."  
Mareth smiles, clapping a hand on Gregor's shoulder.

"Gregor! I did not know you had returned!"  
"Ah, uh, I'm not here to stay. I had something I needed to do…"

"As did I. Luxa called for me. She said she had someone for me to talk to. Was it you?"  
"I don't know. Listen-can I catch up with you later? I really need to get outside right now."  
"I will take you. You are going the completely wrong direction." He says with a laugh.

Mareth starts walking back the way Gregor had already come, not looking back to see if he follows. Gregor stuffed his flash of annoyance down, and went after him, following him through the various hallways until they emerged on a small balcony overlooking the city. Gregor didn't move from the doorway due to the fact that the balcony was _just _a platform.

"Gregor?"  
Mareth was standing near the edge, and Gregor had half a mind to yank him back. What if he fell?  
"Gregor, are you alright?"  
Gregor pulls himself from his thoughts, and forced a smile onto his face. "Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry. Just thinking."  
"Join me." Mareth says.

Gregor edges out onto the balcony, staying more towards the palace in case he needed to jump back.

"It's beautiful, is it not?"  
Gregor looks at the city, and can't help but agree. It was a beautiful place.

"Gregor, you being here at this time...I am glad you have returned, but the timing is not well."  
"What do you mean?"  
"There has been a group of individuals who...are sick. They hold strange beliefs that center strongly along the Warrior."  
Oh. Right. The Warrior. That had been him, at one point.

"They call themselves the Interfectores. We do not know nearly enough about them, but it seems that they are everywhere in the city."  
"What do they do?"  
"They seem to want all gnawers dead. They…" Mareth turns to Gregor, an upset look on his face. "They kill the gnawers, regardless of how well they can fight back, or if they are a pup or not. They take their teeth and other things as trophies. All in the Warrior's name."  
Dread settles in Gregor, and he takes a step back. "You can't be serious. That's crazy."  
"I am serious, Gregor. It has been a problem for several months now. Luxa and Ripred worry about it."  
Gregor swallows back his fear at the fact that the Warrior apparently wasn't dead yet, and rakes a hand through his hair. "Okay. I don't...what do you want me to do?"  
"I do not know. While your timing is not good, I do believe that you arrived here at this time for a reason. Maybe you will be the one to help us destroy this group."  
Except he wasn't staying, so his timing was just bad.

"We should get back to Luxa and them." Gregor finally says.

Mareth nods, and leads Gregor back to the dining area, where Eli and Hazard have left. Whether by their own will or Luxa's, Gregor doesn't know. Mareth sits himself down next to Ripred, greeting him with a nod.

"Mareth." Luxa begins, "Thank you for coming."  
"Of course. Was it Gregor you wanted me to speak to? I am sure I would have found him around at another point in time."  
"I am sure," Luxa says with a tired smile. The smile slips away as she looks to Gregor. "I want you to talk to them."

Gregor thinks she must be joking. "About what? I don't have anything to talk about. Unless they want to hear about me failing highschool."  
Ripred gives him a cool look, and begins to gnaw on a bone from his plate. "Listen, boy. Luxa has told us of what you told her. It is not uncommon in soldiers. You have been-"  
Gregor gets to his feet so quickly his head spins, and then throbs painfully. "I'm not talking about this. I came for Eli, not for myself. I'm fine."  
Ripred bares his teeth and rises on his haunches. "It is not a matter of if you want to talk or not. If you snap in the Overland, you could hurt someone, or yourself. I am not going to have that on my conscience."  
"Well, you're going to have to deal with it."  
"I have your notebook."  
Gregors heart stops. Luxa and Mareth both look worried, but a little curious. Gregor looks to Ripred, who pulls the notebook out from under the table, flipping it open leisurely with a paw. "I wonder what this all says? You obviously don't want other Overlanders reading it. I'm more surprised you've nearly filled this entire thing with Code."  
Luxa looks puzzled, until Ripred flips it around to her. Her eyes go wide as she starts to scan over it. Gregor doesn't know if she can make anything out, but he still feels sick. He knows Ripred probably already went through it, just to spite him.

"Give that back."  
Mareth looks startled at the quiet venom in his voice, but Gregor finds he doesn't care. First finding out about some insane extremist group that idolized the Warrior, and now a forced help group that he didn't even _want_.

"Give it back, Ripred."

Ripred ignores him, and continues to flip through. "Ah. Here's a passage from a couple days ago! Let's see, nightmares, odd looks, survivor's guilt, wishing you were-"

Gregor lunges across the table at Ripred, but Ripred only dances out of the way, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"You'll need to be faster than that, little pup! Suppressing who you are for this long is not good! You used to be so much better. I bet you can't even use echolocation anymore, can you?"  
"I can!" Gregor snapped.

Luxa and Mareth watch the game of chase go on for a moment, before Luxa stands, opening her mouth to say something, but Ripred flips the notebook shut, grinning.  
"Good."  
He uses his tail to smash the torches in the room into the ground, snuffing them out. Luxa gasps as the world goes dark. Gregor clicks quickly, showing Ripred's tail slashing to his feet. He scrambles out of the way, before tripping on a pillow. He grunts as he hits the ground, feeling the hot breath of Ripred against his throat a moment later. He tries not to panic-he knows it's Ripred. He knows that Ripred wouldn't hurt him. A light flares a moment later, revealing Luxa with a freshly lit torch, her face twisted with fury.

"Ripred, that was not the right way to go about things." She admonishes.

Ripred moves away from Gregor, who is still panicking too much for his liking. Mareth kneels down next to him, and helps him into a sitting position.

"Up." He demands. "Sit up, and head between your knees."

Gregor blindly follows his directives, and feels better after a couple of calming breaths.

"Gregor."  
It's Luxa's voice, and Gregor really doesn't want to look at her right now. His head is still spinning, and he realizes Mareth is trying to say something.

"Gregor, you must breath."  
"Yeah," he chokes out. "I know."

Mareth sighs, as if Gregor understood it, but clearly wasn't putting it into effect.

Gregor sees Luxa's feet stop in front of him, and he finally looks up as she drops into a crouch in front of him. She looks upset, and opens her mouth to say something, before closing it tightly.

"Luxa-"

"It will be okay, Gregor."

Gregor stares at her for a second, before bursting into laughter.

She looks uncomfortable, giving him a nervous look. "Gregor?"  
"Everyone keeps saying that! That 'everything will be okay'. It won't. It won't. Everyone seems to know what's going to happen, but they don't know anything."  
Luxa presses her mouth together into a thin line. "You should talk to Ripred and Mareth. Something is clearly wrong with you."  
"I don't want to talk to them!" Gregor snaps.

Rage flickers in Luxa's eyes for a moment, before she stands and storms out of the room. He can hear her demanding tone talking to the guards stationed outside, but can't make out the words. Sparing a quick glance to Ripred and Mareth, Gregor stands. "I'm going."

But as he tries to leave, he finds the way barred by the guards. They look uncomfortable as they block his way, trying to explain to him that the queen had instructed he not leave until Ripred or Mareth allowed it. Gregor felt like grabbing their swords from the scabbards that hung from their belts, and fighting his way out. He could do it. He knew he could. Gregor knew the Rager sensation was there-always ready to come out. But he was also out of practice. He would probably accidentally kill them instead of disarming them. Some small part of him said that it would be okay. That he _should _kill them. They were in his way, after all. But the rest of him made him push that fury deep, deep down. Made him turn around and walk back to Mareth and Ripred, the latter who had continued to stuff his face with fish.

"I'm not talking to you."

Mareth opened his mouth to protest, but Ripred talked right over him.

"Yes, you are. And besides," he says, waving a paw through the air. "I couldn't actually read the notebook. Just made a guess. And it looks like I was right. You're a mess. And you can't argue with that, because from what I've seen, you're barely holding it together."  
Gregor doesn't argue, but does nothing to confirm it either. So he sits and glares at Ripred, who's moved to grinding his teeth on a bone.

"You tell me what you think is wrong with me then." Gregor spits.

Gregor was being difficult. He knew _something _was wrong with him, but didn't know how to say it. So maybe Ripred would be able to. He knew more about this.

Ripred pauses and considers Gregor for a moment. "I think your mind is sick."  
That was not what Gregor wanted to hear.

Mareth grabbed his arm as he tried to stand up, but Gregor ripped it away, glaring at him.  
"Do not _touch _me."

"I apologize, Gregor, but you must stay. You cannot leave."  
"Can't leave? That's bullshit."

Ripred barks out a laugh. "Language, pup. I don't think your mother would appreciate that language."  
"I could get out of here if I really wanted to." Gregor says, ignoring Ripred's comment.

"How?" Ripred asks, "Use your dormant skills to escape."  
Gregor doesn't say what he's thinking, but it must be written all over his face because Ripred hisses in disapproval, and Mareth looks sick.

"I'm leaving."

He turns away from Mareth's hesitant reaching hand, and starts to the doorway.

"Let him leave!" Mareth calls.

The guards are surprised to see him after only a few minutes, but let him go, looking worried. Gregor bursts into a run as he rounds the corner, feeling like he might cry. He wants to go back. Go back to that summer-no. Go back six years and however many months and days and stop his dad from going down to the laundry room. Make him stay. Keep him so that he could save himself from turning into _this_.

He finds himself in the High Hall, where it's quiet. He forces himself to quiet his mind. Takes deep even breaths as he sits propped up against a column. He wished Phobos was here. He wanted to fly. The thought startles him enough that he chokes on his next big breath. Both thoughts, really. That he wanted a specific bat. That he wanted to fly. But, as soon as he pictured it, all he saw was himself falling into the Waterway, being dashed against the backbreaking rocks.

Shuddering, he pulls his knees up to his chest, looking up when he hears the tap of claws on rock. Ripred stands a short distance away, his tail swishing slightly on the floor.

"You didn't let me finish. You know I know of the Overland. You probably have what they call Shell Shock. No. That's an outdated term, isn't it? What do they call it now? PDTS?"  
Gregor manages to find his voice, and a ragged laugh escapes him. "You mean PTSD? I don't have that. I'm not…" he gestures vaguely for lack of a better term. "_That_."  
"Says who?"  
"Me."  
Ripred scoffs. "If everyone decided what they were and what they were not, no one would make any progress. Sometimes you need to be forcibly told what you are. You Overlanders are much softer than the Underlandsers. You saw your bond die in front of you, and nearly died yourself. You've killed hundreds of people. I'd be more surprised if you were completely fine after that."

"I'm fine." Gregor protests. "I've dealt with it for however many years, Ripred."  
"I'm saying you shouldn't have to!"

Gregor stares at him. "What?"  
"You shouldn't have had to deal with it. You are still a _child_. You should be up in the Overland doing whatever children your age do. Not stewing over the fact that you have killed people and that you are _sick_."

Gregor considered arguing for a moment. But he was so tired. Of everything.

"What do I do?"  
He almost couldn't hear his own voice, but Ripred's ears picked it up easily.

"You have to work to get better. It took me…" he pauses, and huffs. "A long time to get over the loss of my mate and pups. You've had no way to talk about anything. You're too stubborn to realize when people care."  
"You care?"  
Ripred snorts, shaking his head. "Of course not. I care about the future of these lands, and if Luxa is tearing herself apart over your well-being, she can't do her job. We can start with-"  
"What about the Interfectores?"

The question blurts out before Gregor can stop it, and he watches Ripred go stock still. His eyes narrow, and his whiskers twitch.  
"Who told you about that?"  
"...Mareth."  
"Of course. It's nothing to worry about."  
"But he said you and Luxa were both worried about it. Should I-should I be worried about it?"  
"No! We have it under control. Like I was saying, we'll start with the fighting and your temper. I won't do the emotional stuff. Find someone else for that. Your echolocation seems to be in good order, which is helpful, because I wasn't going to wait for it to come back."

"Wait-I can't _stay _here."

"Yes, you can. Your friend will go back with a note from Luxa, for your family. You will stay here. Your Overland doctors won't be of any help."  
"You don't know that." Gregor says quietly.

"You're right. I don't. What I do know is that as soon as you tell any of them about the Underland, you'll be sent to a mental ward and never see the light of day again. Do you really want to go back to that?"  
"No."  
Ripred bares his teeth in what might've been a smile, and swishes his tail around to whack Gregor in his side.

"Ow!"  
"You'll need to be quicker than that, pup."  
"You're an asshole!"  
"I know. You should rest for tomorrow, then. We need to get you up on a bat again. Meet me in the Arena at twelve."  
"Fine."  
"I'll have Luxa arrange another bat."  
"Okay."  
"Gregor, know that just because you fight and learn to control yourself, it doesn't mean that the warrior is alive again. He's dead."  
Gregor swallows back the lump in his throat. "I know, Ripred. He's dead. I won't let him come back."

Ripred nods, turning and walking Gregor back to his room.  
"Now go to sleep."  
Gregor glares at him, but continues into his room. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Gregor slept without dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Gregor woke and made it to the small dining room, Luxa, as well as Eli and Hazard were already eating. The sight of the food made Gregor's stomach growl as he realized he hadn't eaten last night.

"Good morning, Gregor!" Eli chirps.

"Hey."  
Hazard glances up at him, and then to Luxa. "Good morning."  
Luxa remains silent, watching him as he sat and began to scoop food onto his plate.

"Ripred said you would have a bat ready." Gregor ventures.

"Yes. Phobos has volunteered. Caerus will take Eli back to the surface."  
Gregor feels something like relief that he would fly with Phobos again. He didn't necessarily trust him at this point, but he at least knew of his fears, and did what could to make it easier for Gregor.

"Wait, Gregor, where are you going?" Eli asks. "You have to come with me."  
Gregor gives a tight smile, and shakes his head. "I can't yet. I've got stuff I have to do down here. I'll come back though. Tell my parents-" Gregor pauses, thinking of the panic they must all be going through. He squashes down the guilt. "Tell my family I'm alright. That I'm doing what my mom wanted, on my own terms."

"What?"  
"She'll understand. Just tell her."  
"Okay…"

Luxa looks to Gregor, her eyes bright. "Your talk with Ripred went well then, I gather."  
"Yeah. He's gonna do his best."  
"And what of Mareth?"  
Gregor hesitates, thinking of how he had behaved last night. "I need...I should probably apologize to him. Can I meet him at dinner?"  
"Yes. I can arrange for that."  
"Thanks."  
Luxa gives him a small smile, and reaches to give his hand a quick squeeze.

"I should probably go." Gregor says. "I need to meet Phobos. Eli."

Eli looks up at the direct address, pausing his conversation with Hazard.

"I'm coming back, so don't forget to tell my family."  
Eli nods. "I won't. Promise."

Luxa stands with Gregor, and follows him from the room. "I will escort you to the High Hall."  
"Cool."  
They start walking, getting strange looks from the guards.

"I'm sorry," Gregor says. "For last night, I mean. I was a jerk."

Luxa doesn't bother to correct him. "You were. You should not take your frustrations out on others."  
"I know," Gregor mumbles. "I'm sorry."  
"It is in the past, as long as you promise it will not happen again."  
"It won't. Promise."  
"Good."

The smile that Luxa gives him almost makes up for the fact that he'll have to be flying soon.

"Overlander!"  
Gregor musters up a smile as Phobos flutters over to them.

"Hey, Phobos."  
"You are better now?"  
"Yeah, I'm alright now."  
"We should leave now," Phobos says, "I fear the gnawers would not take kindly to being made to wait."  
"You're probably right," Gregor agrees. "I'll see you later, alright, Luxa?"  
"I will see you later," she says. "Fly you high, Gregor."  
"Fly you high."

He clambers onto Phobos' back, and holds on tightly as they set off.

~

When they land in the arena, Ripred wasn't there yet. But he emerges from the tunnel moments after they land, and gives a curt nod to Phobos.  
"Alright. Are you ready, pup?"  
"I guess."  
"Get yourself a sword then. And remember what I said last night."  
The Warrior is dead.

Phobos follows Gregor over to the stand of swords, and waits until he picks one to start asking questions.

"What did he say last night?"  
Gregor saw no reason to lie. Phobos wouldn't understand, anyway.

"The Warrior is dead."  
Phobos stares at him, and Gregor wonders if he isn't frowning. "The Warrior? He died fighting the Bane. Of course he is dead. He's been dead for years. They found his sword shattered, and with his bond. Ares, I believe his name was, he was a-"

"Enough!"

Gregor startles, looking up to Ripred, who snarls at Phobos.

"Do not talk about the Warrior. He is dead and no longer important."  
Phobos is silent, and flies up to rest on a set of bleachers.

"I didn't know-"  
"Of course they spun a story. They couldn't exactly say that the Warrior was still alive. Not many people know who you actually are anymore. To most of the palace guards you're just a strange Overlander with strange scars and a fearsome temper."  
Gregor wilts at the words. "Great. That's exactly how I want to be known. Everything I ever wanted."  
"Stop complaining." Ripred snaps. "We have work to do."  
Greor nods, and as he lifts his sword, he's surprised to find that the weight is familiar, even though he hadn't really held one since he last fought the Bane.

"Feels familiar, right?"  
Gregor nods, feeling slightly sick. "Yeah. Like I never put it down."  
"Then let's start. You need to control yourself in order to stop fearing yourself. You will need to work with that bat for your fear of falling. Though that probably won't ever go away."  
"Okay. Thanks for the vote of confidence."  
Ripred bares a smile, before he backs up, readying himself against Gregor.  
"Lizzie missed you."  
Ripred freezes just for a moment, until he keeps moving away. "Really? Only _missed _me?"

"We don't...We don't talk about the Underland much. If i wasn't so fucked up I don't think we'd _ever _talk about it."

"Your parents' fault. Not yours. You could've talked to Lizzie."

"I don't know if she wants to remember...She was the one who kept me in practice with the Code for a while. Then she just kinda stopped. She still loves puzzles though."  
"Enough about her," Ripred says, "We're focusing on you right now."  
And before Gregor could fully process it, Ripred was rushing back at him. Gregor leaps out of the way, but still feels a sting across his forearm. He watches blood bead up along a new scratch, and looks up at Ripred.

"You actually attacked me!" He accused.

"Obviously."  
And he came at him again.

Gregor let the rager sensation wash over him, even though it made him uneasy to do so. His eyes flicked to the weak spots on Ripred, and was sure Ripred could see a similar map on his own body.

"Hit me, Gregor. Even though I'm sure you can't."  
"I can!"  
"Then _do _it!"

Taking a breath, he gives himself over to the sense. It feels slower than it had been last time. Though maybe he just wasn't remembering correctly. But that couldn't be true, because the longer they went, the quicker he became, until he had nearly knocked all the rust away. Not that _that _did anything against Ripred. He had Gregor disarmed and shoved to the ground in less than five minutes. And that was when Gregor had mainly been on the defensive. This was going to be a long day.

When Gregor was finally completely wiped out-dripping sweat and gasping every breath-Ripred let him stop. Phobos flew down while Gregor struggled to his feet and put the sword away.

"You did well, Overlander. You are a good fighter."  
Gregor doesn't want the compliment, but accepts anyway. "Thanks."  
"Shall we go back to the palace?"  
"Yeah, just...hold on."  
Gregor walks back over to Ripred, catching his breath.

"You've still got a lot you need to work on." Ripred says. "Go back and bathe and eat and then meet me in the dining hall where you threatened to kill the guards."  
Gregor feels heat rush to his cheeks, and glanced back to make sure Phobos hadn't heard. It didn't seem like he had, but maybe he was just being polite.

"I already said I was sorry!"  
"I don't think you did."

Maybe he hadn't. Or maybe Ripred was just pushing to see how much of his pride he would swallow.

"I'm sorry." Gregor grinds out.

Ripred swishes his tail around towards Gregor's head. Gregor sees it from the corner of his eye, and instead of moving out of the way, lets his hand snap up to catch it. It hurts like hell but he's not going to let Ripred get that satisfaction.

"Hurry up and go." Ripred says. "You have until I get back to be ready."  
Gregor wasn't sure if he was serious.

"Go on! Shoo!"

Apparently he was.

#

Ripred was waiting for him in the dining room by the time he made it there, waiting with Luxa. Gregor sat himself down next to Luxa, who was talking to Ripred-something about gnawers and numbers. She hushed when he sat down though. He wondered if it had anything to do with the Interfectores.

"So, Gregor. Ripred says you are better? At controlling yourself, at least."  
"A bit."  
"He's still a stupid pup, though." Ripred chimes in.  
"Ripred!"  
"Sorry, but it's true. Now hurry up and eat. We need to do more work."  
"Yeah, yeah. Just gimme a break…"  
Luxa gives him an odd look, before taking a breath. "Gregor. Would you be okay if I helped you with the issue of falling? Falling _and _heights, I mean."  
Gregor looks to Luxa, who looked almost nervous.  
"Er-yeah? Sure. I don't know if that can be...fixed, though."  
"I am sure nothing is broken! You probably just worry about nothing. I am sure Boots would still hold no fear."  
Gregor doesn't say that he's pretty sure Boots doesn't remember the Underland. So he focuses on eating.

"What are we going to do?" Gregor asks Ripred after a couple moments.

"Work on your echolocation. You might still have it, but it's still crap. You need to fine tune it."  
"Can't I just work on that alone?"  
"Your track record with doing things outside of class for me isn't good. So, no. You'll do it with supervision."  
Gregor's ready to argue, but instead grunts out a 'fine', and works on finishing his food. There were worse things than echolocation lessons with Ripred.

After his lesson he finds himself looking for Mareth. Gregor eventually finds him in the hospital, visiting a patient. Gregor waits outside the room until Mareth is finished, before calling for him.

"Mareth!"  
Mareth looks up at his name, and smiles when he sees Gregor. "Gregor! Good to see you."

Gregor glances down to the ground, embarrassment flooding his cheeks. "I'm sorry. About last night."  
"It is alright, Gregor. You did not seem well."  
"Yeah, well, Ripred says I've already got a bad rep throughout the palace."  
"Rep?"  
"Reputation."  
"Ah." Mareth says with a faint smile. "That might be the case, but I am sure if they knew you they would not be deterred."  
"Thanks, Mareth. I hope so."  
"Walk with me?"  
"Sure."  
"Ripred went after you. I assume everything worked out okay."  
"Yeah. More or less."  
They make their way from the hospital wing, into the rest of the palace, walking past various guards who nod to Mareth.

"Hey, Mareth. Can you tell me more about those...people...you were talking about last night?"  
"Ah. Yes. Well, as I told you last night, they seem to idolize the Warrior, regardless of his death. They are a group of extremists, and we've been trying to stop them for a while now. It's difficult," Mareth admits, "As we don't know members. We've only gathered information from people who have left the group. They come to talk, and are later killed. Presumably by other people in the group."  
"That's terrible."  
"We believe it's because they don't want any of the information to escape-though obviously some has."  
"So you have no way to locate them?"  
"No. According to past members, they change the meeting places."

They round the corner, stopping in front of the High Hall.  
"Gregor," Mareth says. "They are very dangerous people. Stay away from them no matter what."  
"I will. Don't worry, Mareth. The palace is safe."  
"Yes." Mareth agrees. "The palace is the only safe place right now." 


	4. Chapter 4

"Luxa, I'm not so sure about this."  
"Nonsense. You'll be fine. You trust Phobos, right?"  
Gregor is saved from having to answer this as Luxa shoves him from the two hundred foot drop at the top of the palace wall. He tries his best not to scream. He's not entirely sure he succeeds. But Phobos catches him, and carries him back up to the top. He slides off Phobos back as soon as they're at the wall, and gets far far away from the edge before he glares at Luxa.

"I'm not going to work with you if you do that again, no matter how much I like you."  
She laughs, and Gregor can't help but think it would be nice to see that laugh more often.

"You are perfectly safe, Gregor. Phobos is very reliable. Just as Aurora is."  
Maybe to demonstrate, maybe to show off, Luxa dives over the edge without hesitation, and then shoots back up a moment later on Aurora's back.

"See? Safe!"  
Gregor turns to Phobos, who is staring at the Queen and her bond, almost wistfully.

"What's wrong, Phobos?"  
"Nothing for you to worry about, Overlander. You have enough to work with as it is."  
Gregor finds himself wanting to push, but realizes that Phobos is doing exactly what he likes to do, so he can't exactly complain about it.

Luxa flips down from Aurora, a smile gracing her features. "Your turn, Gregor."  
"Nope. Sorry, Luxa. But this is too much. I think I need a break. Phobos, can you take me back?"  
"Of course."  
Gregor gives Luxa a wave as he hops onto Phobos' back; trying to ignore her disappointed look.

"She only wants to help." Phobos says.

"I know." Gregor sighs. "I just...I can't handle the flying and everything so easily so soon."  
"I do not really understand, but I will be here to help as I can."

"Thanks, Phobos." Gregor says, a small smile cracking across his face.

When they land in the high hall, Gregor dismounts, before Phobos flutters his wings anxiously.

"Overlander...you are not new here. You have fought in the war."  
Gregor gives Phobos a backwards look, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah. I fought in the war. Why?"  
"I have an idea, but I fear I may be incorrect. I do not want to offend you."  
"It's fine. Shoot."  
If Phobos is confused by the language, he doesn't show it, and plows ahead.

"Did you know the warrior? The way you speak of him makes it seem as if you knew him well. But perhaps you did not like him. You seem relieved he is dead."  
Gregor isn't quite sure how to respond to this, but the flutter of wings and Luxa landing next to him saves him from having to answer.

"It is because he was the Warrior."  
Gregor turns to Luxa, horrified. "_Luxa_."

She ignores him.

"Phobos, understand this: Gregor was the Warrior. The Warrior died in that cave with his bond. He did not see the end of the war. Gregor lived. Gregor went back to the Overland, and continued on with his life. Be careful about mentioning the Warrior. Just because he was a hero does not mean he did not have his own share of suffering."  
Phobos' wings flutter, as he looks from Luxa to Gregor. "You are here to get better from being the Warrior?"  
Gregor sighs, rubbing at his face. "Sure. More or less. Listen, I'm tired. I'm gonna go take a nap."  
Luxa nods stiffly, while Aurora flaps over to Phobos, probably already talking in their own language.

Gregor starts back towards his own room, before realizing Luxa is following.

"What?"  
"I should have asked if you were okay with Phobos knowing that you were the Warrior."  
"It's fine, Luxa. He would've figured it out eventually. Nothing to be done about it now."  
"He may not have. I...I apologize."  
They stop in front of Gregor's room.

"You seem to trust Phobos, and I wish for that relationship to continue."  
"What I don't understand, is that if everyone thinks the Warrior is dead-why does it matter? Why does Phobos need to know? Shouldn't it just be need to know? Or not even that. Just-"

Gregor gestures widely, huffing an impatient breath.

"If he's dead, why is he still so important?"  
Luxa hesitates, before sighing slightly. "I am sorry, Gregor. He should not matter anymore. But with the Interfectores, he matters too much. He is the sole reason for their existence, along with a raging hatred for the gnawers that will not subside. I wish that he would fade from existence. For you. But he will not any time soon, and he may have been a violent person, but Gregor, in your heart I know you are not."

Gregor takes a shuddery breath. "I missed you, Luxa," he says in a small voice.

Luxa smiles slightly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I missed you as well."

"I still have that picture of us." Gregor says. "We were so young."  
"Yes, we were."  
The silence that descends is awkwards, and Gregor clears his throat quickly, patting Luxa's arm.  
"Alright. I'm gonna go take a nap. Tired and all that. So, uh, see you later."

Luxa nods, stepping away before turning back. "I will send someone to wake you for dinner if you have not woken yet."  
"Thanks."  
She smiles, and turns, walking away down the hallway.

##

Eli walks up to the house, feeling like he might be sick. How was he supposed to tell Gregor's parents that he had taken him back? After he _apparently _left without permission. He raises his hand to knock at the door, but takes it down after another moment. It was late. They were probably already asleep. He turns to go back to the car, before turning back to the door. They would probably be up worrying. And Eli had all the answers. He blows a breath out, steeling himself as he finally raps against the door.

"Ok, Eli. This is fine," he mumbles to himself. "Just tell them Gregor had business in the Underland and that he was getting what his mom said to get. Whatever _that _means…"

The door flings open and a young girl stares up at him.

"You're not Gregor."  
"No. Who are you?"  
"Lizzie. I'm Gregor's sister. Who are _you_?"  
"I'm Eli. I need to talk to your parents."  
She gives him a look over, pursing her lips. "About what?"  
"The Underland."  
She pales, and Eli thinks maybe she starts breathing a bit too quickly, but she turns and motions him in. The door clicks shut behind him.

"Lizzie? Who was it?"  
They walk into the kitchen, where three adults are sitting at the kitchen table, cups of coffee in front of them. The one woman looks up, giving a hesitant smile.

"Lizzie?" She asks.

"He says his name is Eli. That he needs to talk to you about the Underland."

The woman's smile vanishes, and she stands abruptly, grabbing Lizzie and reeling her towards herself. "Are you one of them?"  
"No. But Gregor-"  
At his name one of the men seems to wilt, while the other simply rests a hand on his shoulder.

"What about him?" The woman demands.

"Is his mom here?"  
"That would be me. Call me Grace."  
"Uh, okay...Grace. He said that he has to stay down there for a while. He said to tell you that he was doing what you wanted to do."  
Her eyes well up with tears, and Lizzie looks up to her mom, looking worried. "Mom?"  
One of the men reaches across the table while Grace sits back down. "He's okay, Grace."  
"But he just _left_, Lee! He didn't say anything! Just packed a bag and went to New York with this boy we've never even met before!" She rounds on Eli next, and Eli once again finds himself wishing he could've just never come. "And _you_! You kidnapped my child!"  
"No, I didn't!" Eli interjects, "I asked him to come with me. I didn't kidnap anyone. I'm a very nice person-he told me you said it was okay!"

Everyone is silent, and Lee raises his hand slowly. "Hold on, you said _you _asked _him _to take you?"  
"Yes. He thought I had a nephew down there. I said I wanted to meet him and I asked him if he would take me there so I could see him.

Grace looks to Lee, frowning.

"Who was it?" Lizzie asks.

"His name was Hazard."  
Lizzie's eyes widen a little bit, and she smiles. "Oh! Hazard! How is he? Boots should-"  
Grace's hand on her shoulder quiets her.  
"Sit down and tell me everything that happened."

##

He's fighting the Bane again, which isn't unusual. What's unusual is Ares' body below him as he flies overhead on Phobos' back. He knows what's coming, and even though it's a different flier, he can't do anything to stop it as Phobos' throat is ripped out, and Gregor is clawed across his chest. He tries to crawl towards Phobos-apologize for somehow getting him killed in all this-but it seems like as soon as he makes it an inch closer, Phobos moves another foot away. But he still tries. And he does get closer. The closer he gets, the more the blood bubbling from Phobos' neck and Gregor's wounds mingle; and the smell is suffocating. As soon as his hand touches Phobos' fur, Gregor relaxes. He tries to apologize, but he can't hear himself talking, and besides, the Bane's tail is whacking his side which makes it hard to focus and-

"Wake up! Up! Let's go or I'll send you to the Deadlands for intensive training!"  
Gregor opens his eyes, withholding a shriek as Ripred's face appears. Gregor struggles up and shoves Ripred's tail off his chest, groaning.  
"Get off me!"

Ripred flicks a paw and pulls his tail away, looking to his side.

"There. He's up."  
Gregor turns to see Luxa standing just behind Ripred, and he chokes on his next breath. "Oh my _god_. Why are you here?"  
"Someone had come to wake you for dinner, but they said you weren't responding."  
Ripred gives her an odd look, then squints towards Gregor. "And that you were crying! That part made your Queen come running. After she got me, of course."  
"I did _not _come running!" Luxa hisses.

"Right, right. Sorry. She was walking very fast though." Ripred sighs.

Luxa sets her jaw, but says nothing to contradict him this time.

"I was worried." She says stiffly.

"Oh." Gregor says. "Sorry. It happens a lot. Nothing to worry about."  
That has the opposite effect Gregor was hoping for, and she starts to look panicked.

"This happens often? Gregor, that is not good. I am sure there is a medicine or something we could get for you to help ease the symptoms of whatever it is."

"My dear Queen," Ripred says with a chuckle, "He's not _sick_. He's having nightmares."  
"People do not cry normally during those."  
"Maybe not you." Ripred grumbles. "But you'll find normal people tend to."  
She gives him a stony look, but Ripred looks unaffected.

"I'm alright." Gregor insists, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "All good. It's time to eat, right? Let's go. I'm starving."  
Luxa doesn't look happy about it, but turns to leave, with Ripred following a moment later, his tail flicking in annoyance. Gregor waits until they're completely gone before digging his notebook out from his bag, along with his pencil. He jots down as much of his dream as he can remember. He wonders why Phobos had made an appearance. Maybe because he was the last flier Gregor had ridden with. Wouldn't it be just his luck if Phobos died while with him. Talk about having a bad track record. But Phobos wasn't going to die, Gregor reminds himself. And why did he care so much? It's not like Phobos was Ares. Thinking of Ares is making him spiral, so he finishes his entry quickly, and shoves the notebook back into his bag. Gregor slips on the woven sandals sitting next to the bed, and goes to find Luxa and Ripred.

~~

Gregor tries unsuccessfully not to think about this morning's screaming match with Ripred. He tries to focus on how the wind feels against his face as he flies along the Waterway, his legs gripping Phobos' sides as loosely as he dared. He had told Phobos about what Ripred had said-about how he wasn't making any progress, even though Gregor knew he was. How Ripred said he was giving up.

"Why does he have to be so hard on me?" Gregor grumbles. "I'm just a kid."  
"He only wants you to improve, Gregor."  
"Yeah." Gregor sighs. "I know. I just-I don't think he's going about it all the right way."  
"And what would the right way be?"  
"I don't know. Not _this _though."  
Phobos is quite for a couple beats, before sighing. "I wish I could be of more help, Overlander. I do not enjoy seeing you upset."  
"Thanks, Phobos."  
"Should we head back?" Phobos asks.

Gregor shrugs, letting himself fall forwards against Phobos' back; gripping his fur. "Can we fly a little longer?"  
If Phobos is surprised by Gregor's request, he doesn't show it.

"Yes."  
They fly on in comfortable silence, until Phobos turns his head back slightly. "Queen Luxa cares for you."

Gregor grunts in agreement, pushing himself up to sit. "Yeah. She was one of the first people I met down here. She didn't like me at first. Of course, Henry was still alive then."  
"Queen Luxa's cousin. The traitor."  
"Yeah. That was the first prophecy I was a part of."

"That is when Ares became an outcast."  
"I made him my bond to keep him from being exiled."  
"That was very brave."  
"I guess. He was…" Gregor wasn't sure what to say that would encapsulate everything that Ares had been. "He was perfect."  
Phobos doesn't reply to this.

"Have you ever considered bonding to another?" Phobos asks suddenly.

Gregor startles, squinting at Phobos. "Is that even allowed?"  
Phobos nods. "Though it does not happen often. You were Ares' second bond."  
Gregor hadn't even thought about that.

"Why doesn't it happen that much?"  
"Often if the flyer is the survivor, they are shunned, because they are supposed to be able to protect their bond. If it is the flier who dies, as bonds are only broken upon death, the human may…" Phobos trails off, as if not sure how to put it. "They often start to lose their minds. They go crazy with grief. A human cannot do as much as a bat to protect their bond."  
Gregor thought of Howard and Pandora. How Mareth had had to knock Howard out to keep him from trying to go after Pandora, even though she had been gone.

"Oh. That doesn't happen often, does it?"  
"No," Phobos says, "Bonded pairs are good at protecting each other."

Gregor thought of Ares, and almost wanted to deny it. But then again-most pairs wouldn't be fighting a twelve-foot crazy rat dead set on killing them.  
"How did you get the scars,if I may ask." Phobos asks softly.

Gregor hums, pushing himself up. He looks down at his arms, and sighs. "I don't care. The round ones are from a giant squid. Got them when we were on a quest to go find the Bane in the first place. Then there's the ones from the ants-er-cutters, when we were trying to find a remedy for the plague. There's some just from fights and stuff. When I broke Sandwich's sword-"  
"You _what_?"  
"Haha...yeah. Long story. But, that's pretty much it. So. Yeah."

Phobos lets out a sound that sounds like humming, but Gregor can't be sure.

"We are nearly returned, Gregor."

"Thanks, Phobos."  
"For what?" he questions.

"I don't know-just, not treating me any different. When you found out."

"About you being the Warrior."  
"...Yeah. There's just more going on with that than I had thought there would be-especially because I thought there would be _nothing._"

"I will help in whatever way I can," Phobos promises.

"Thank you."

Gregor sat crisscross on his bed, scribbling down everything that had happened today and within the past few days. He hadn't had much time. No-it wasn't that. He had been avoiding it. Writing it down made it seem that much more real. He was really here again. There really was some crazy group out there killing innocent gnawers all in the Warrior's name. It made him sick.

While he was writing, a guard poked their head in, scaring Gregor half to death.

"The Queen is calling you for dinner."  
"Okay." He manages.

The guard nods, and ducks back out, presumably waiting for him. Now he had a babysitter. Great. He shoves his things into his bag, and clambers down from the bed, giving the guard a small smile as he joins him in the hall. The guard starts to walk with him, and Gregor tries to stuff down his annoyance.

"You don't need to walk with me," Gregor says. "I know the way."  
"I know, Overlander." the guard says. "I apologize. I have not introduced myself. I am Trexon. I only wish to talk to you. I was a guard in training, during the war."

Gregor didn't really want to talk about this, but nodded. "Okay. Cool."  
"I saw you. Before." Texton says, a feverish sort of light in his eyes. "No one believed me when I said the Warrior was back! That you had returned!"  
Dread runs cold in Gregor's veins, but he manages a strangled laugh. Trexon seems surprised, frowning slightly at him.  
"What is funny, Overlander?"  
"I'm not the Warrior. Sorry."  
"But...You are. I saw you. You have sisters, yes? Younger? I remember them. I remember everything about the war."  
Gregor feels like he might be sick. "The Warrior is dead," he insists.

"The Warrior never died, Overlander. He lives. No one has forgotten him. People may have forgotten who he was, but he never died."  
This guy was crazy. Absolutely off the wall bonkers.

"Listen, Trexon, that's...great and all. But I've gotta go."

Trexton gives a smiles, and nods. "Of course, Warrior."  
"Don't call me that."

Gregor hoped he had sounded commanding, but he couldn't quite hide the quaver in his voice. Gregor sped up, leaving Trexon behind. He didn't want to talk about the Warrior or the war right now. He wanted to get better and forget about it as best he could.

"Gregor!"

He looks up from his swirling thoughts and relief seeps through him as he sees Howard.

"Howard. It's so good to see you."  
"How are you, Gregor?"  
"I'm good," Gregor lies. "How about you?"  
"I am well. You look much older," Howard says with a quick laugh.

Gregor smiles slightly, shrugging. "It's been a couple years. You still working in the hospital here?"  
Howard's face brightens. "Yes. It is very enjoyable. I still feel as though I am learning new things every day."  
"That's great, Howard."  
"Why are you here though, Gregor?"  
"Uh. Personal business, I guess. I have some stuff I need to get done."  
Howard nods, "I hope it all goes well."  
"It's been going good. I think...I think I'm making progress."  
Howard gives him a clap on the shoulder, and grins. "Very good! I have to get back to the hospital for checkups, but I hope I will see you later."  
"Yeah, me too, Howard."

Luxa and Hazard are already in the dining room when Gregor arrives. He gives them both a smile in greeting, before sitting down next to Luxa, tapping her arm. She turns to him, looking curious.  
"What?"  
"I was walking here, and a guard started talking to me about the Warrior and stuff. Said he was still alive. Said that-" Gregor breaks off, trying to calm his breathing. Nothing would come out of being panicky. "Said that people still remember him and stuff. He knew about my _sisters_. He called me it. Do you think-I think he may be one of them."

Luxa looks troubled, but rests her hand on his, and Gregor finds himself relaxing almost immediately. Luxa was safe.

"I will investigate this guard. Tell me his name. But Gregor, the Warrior is _dead_. You killed him. You made sure he perished, and could not come back."  
"I...I know. But I just...What if there's another prophecy? I couldn't do that-I _won't-" _

The door's curtains rustle, and Ripred saunters in, giving them an appraising look. "It's only dinner and you're already having a nervous breakdown about something? At least wait until I've had something to eat."  
Ripred walks to his seat, and basically collapses, letting out a loud sigh. He reaches for a fish platter, and pulls it towards himself, eyeing Gregor. "What is it, pup?"  
"Just some stuff."  
"Right. What's the guards name, then?"  
Gregor glares at Ripred, who only cleans a fish, and tosses the bones back onto the platter.

"Why _ask _if you already heard?"  
"I just want to see if you'll tell me. It hurts my feelings very much that you won't let me see your breakdowns, Gregor."  
"Shut up."

Luxa sighs, casting an irritated look at Ripred.

"What was the name, Gregor?" She asks.

"Trexon."

She tilts her head slightly. "I do not recognize it immediately. He is a general guard then, or not one of high status. I will talk to the head guard later."  
"Thank you."

Luxa smiles, and gives his hand a squeeze before turning her attention back to Ripred.

"Ripred, Gregor thinks this man may be one of them."  
Hazard perks up from where he'd been slouched in the corner, as if he knew that he was going to hear something good. "Is there going to be another war?" he asked quietly.

Luxa gives him a sad look. "No, I would imagine not. Not all conflict ends in war, Hazard. It is not good to think like that."

Hazard picks at his food, shrugging. "Yes, but, well...That's how it has always been as I have been here."  
No one says anything.

"Well," Ripred sighs, "If this guy _is _one of them, he can't be near Gregor. He should honestly be used for information and then disposed of."  
Luxa nods, but casts an anxious look to Hazard. "Ripred, perhaps this talk can wait until after dinner, then. I do not want to...Let us all talk later."  
Ripred shrugs, flinging another set of fish bones onto his platter. "Fine. Later."

##

Gregor was missing. Ben wasn't _worried, _or anything. It's not like they were that close. It was just that PE was getting boring, and-okay. He missed him. _And _he was worried. He had been gone for what felt like a week, but in reality was only a few days. And the teachers had no idea where he'd gone-neither did any of the other kids. They had all said he was probably sick, but Ben _knew _something was up. Gregor wouldn't skip school like this (probably). Or maybe he would. Ben was realizing he barely knew him, which he didn't like. He had thought they were good school friends. But he was beginning to realize he may have been one of Gregor's only friends, which was a really depressing thought.

Regardless, Ben found himself at the front office on Friday afternoon, trying to come up with a valid excuse to get Gregor's address so he could visit him.

"I need to give him homework."

Mrs. O'Neil gave him a doubtful look, but in all fairness, this Gregor kid had dropped off the map. So she gave it to him.

"Don't go around spreading his address, Ben."  
"Mrs. O'Neil, I would never do that. I'm offended.

She raises her eyebrows, but Ben only smiles and backs away until he hits the doorway.

"Thanks! You're the best, Mrs. O'Neil! Bye!"

He raises his hand in farewell, not looking back as he runs out of the office.

"I can't believe he has...the _audacity _to live on a farm…" Ben grumbles, adjusting his backpack once again. He had spent the past twenty minutes trudging along the road, freezing his ass off trying to get to Gregor's house. His phone's service cut out halfway from town, so now he was stuck hoping he hadn't missed a turn. As Ben walked, headlights broke through the evening, the sound of tires on gravel soon following. A car rolled up next to him, and Ben gave it a look before he continued walking. The car followed.

"Are you going to the Campbell's?" A voice called.

Ben turned slowly, squinting into the lights in an attempt to see the man behind the wheel. "Yes?"  
The car engine cut off, and the man-or rather, boy (he didn't look much older than Ben)-stepped from the car.

"I'm Eli. I'm going there too. Do you want a lift?"  
"I don't know you, dude."  
"You've got at least another five minutes on this road. Are you going to visit Gregor?"  
"Yes. Well, no."  
Eli hesitates, wondering if he knew. Why would he come to his house if he knew, though?

"I mean," Ben continues, "I'm going to see if he's home. He hasn't been at school for a few days. And I have homework for him."  
"Why don't you get in. I'll take you. I'm sure Grace and Mr. Campbell will be able to clear up any questions."  
Ben frowns, but walks with Eli to the car. He couldn't be that bad, Ben had decided. "Questions? Why would I have questions? I mean, I'm gonna make sure he didn't die or somethin', but other than that I don't...I don't care much."  
"Sure. Okay."  
Ben climbs into the back seat behind Eli, relieved that the car was in fact, quite warm.

"Seatbelt." Eli says.

"You said it's not that far away."  
"Fine," Eli says, turning the key, "If you die, not my problem."

"_This_ is where he lives?"  
"What were you expecting?"  
"Something more...farmy."  
Eli shrugs and tugs his coat tighter around himself. "Then you were wrong."

Ben follows Eli up to the door, nearly tripping on a clutter of boots near the door. "God, how many people live here?"  
"At least six."  
"Christ"  
Ben watches as Eli rings the doorbell, then turns to look out at the yard. Nothing remarkable. A gust of warm air causes him to turn, and he's greeted with a young girl who looks solemnly up at him.  
"Who are you?"  
"Lizzie," Eli says, "This is...uh…"  
"I'm Ben," Ben says.

The girl-Lizzie-gives an annoyed look to Eli. "You brought a random stranger with you to my house? What, did you let him in your car too?"  
"Alright, Lizzie!" Eli says, laughing awkwardly, "Let's not judge too harshly here. Ben, come on. Shut the door behind you."  
Ben follows the directions, shutting out the cold air as he steps into the cramped hallway. He mimics Eli and kicks off his boots, shedding his coat and hanging it up next to the various others already on the rack.

"So, uh, Lizzie," he starts, "Where's Gregor?"  
Lizzie purses her lips and turns away from him, walking down into what looked like the kitchen. Elli gives him a sympathetic look and a shrug, following after Lizzie.

"Gregor's kinda...missing, right now," Eli says quietly.

Ben stops, staring at him. "You're fucking with me."  
"No, I'm not. And no language around Lizzie or Boots."  
"Around...the shoes…"  
Eli smiles, shaking his head. "Boot's is a person. Come on."

Finally making it into the kitchen, Ben sees Lizzie at the stove with a kettle in hand.

"I hope you drink tea, cause that's all we have right now."  
"Tea's fine, thanks. Where's Gregor?"  
Lizzie turns back to the stove, and Ben finds himself on the verge of picking her up and shaking the answers out of her.

"He's somewhere else right now. Are you his friend?"  
Ben hesitates as he sits at the table, watching as an older man walks into the kitchen. He gives Ben and Eli a little wave, walking over to Lizzie to press a kiss to the top of her head before getting a cup of water and leaving.  
"Yes." Ben finally says.

"What all has he told you about himself?" Lizzie asks.

"I mean, we're kinda new friends, so I'm working on getting all that stuff outta him, but I know about the car accident-"  
He stops at Lizzie's snort and frowns. "Hey. It's not funny."  
"I know." She says. "What else did he tell you?"  
"I-I don't know! I mean, he mostly sits and writes in that notebook of his and he's pretty much always spaced out."  
"So, you know basically nothing. Alright. That makes my job harder."  
"...What?"  
She pours the boiling water into three mugs, bringing them over to the table along with a small tin of tea.

"How open are you to outlandish things?" she asks.

"Pretty open, I guess. Whhy? Are you gonna tell me Gregor got like, abducted by aliens or something?"  
"Mm...no. I guess it's best to start at the beginning. So, around four years ago, we used to live in New York…"

~  
Ben stared down at his tea, trying to process everything he had just been told. Most of which made no sense. But it must have made _some _sense because even Eli was adding little points once he had joined the story. They both stared expectantly at him now, waiting for his reply. He took another gulp of his now cold tea, trying not to cringe at the taste. He didn't actually like tea.

"So, he's down...there?"

"The Underland, yes." Lizzie said, almost impatiently, like she couldn't believe he wasn't caught up already.

"Ok, hold on. So, you're telling me he _wasn't _in a car crash?"  
Eli laughs, shaking his head. "Is that the part you're hung up on?"

"He told everyone it was a car accident!"

"People lie all the time, dude," Eli says, "Did you actually believe it was a car accident?"  
Ben glances between Lizzie and Eli, before shrugging slightly. "I-I mean, I guess not. Sometimes he made like, offhand comments about injuries he's had, but I just assumed it was about the accident. I don't know, man! This is crazy!"  
Lizzie smiles sympathetically, cradling her tea in her hands. "I know. It was crazy going through it."  
Ben hadn't really even thought about that, and now he definitely felt awful.

"Shit-I'm sorry, kid. But I just...I don't know. I guess I don't have a choice but to believe you, do I?"

Lizzie shrugs. "It's really up to you. And it's kinda Eli's fault you thought anything was wrong to begin with."  
Eli smiles sheepishly, shrugging. "My bad? I thought you were coming cause you already had a vague idea."  
Pushing the tea aside, Ben rakes a hand through his hair, loosing a heavy sigh. "Ok. OK! I guess I believe it. When is he gonna be back? Can we get him?"  
"Get him?" Eli asks, "Dude, we can't go _get _him. He sent me back so that he could do whatever it is he needed to do."

"Bullshit."  
Lizzie looks offended, her hands tightening around her mug. "_Excuse _me?"  
"Language, Ben." Eli sighs.

"Sorry. But there's no way he wants that!"

"Ben, you barely _know_ Gregor," Lizzie says, though Ben thinks she sounds almost...sad.

"I'll go." Ben insists. "I'll go and bring him back."

Lizzie frowns, giving Eli a look. Eli groans, and rubs at his eyes. "I'm gonna need to drive again, aren't I?"  
Lizzie's frown turns into a smile, and Ben can't help but think it fits her better than the painfully serious look she'd had on her look before.

"Please, Eli?" she asks, "If it gets Gregor back…"

Eli pauses, making a frustrated sound, before nodding. "Fine. Fine. Ben, when can you go? Let's get him back."  
"Really? I can go now. Let's go."  
"Not now. We can go tomorrow if you want. What about your parents?"  
Ben hesitates, before shrugging with a smile. "They won't care."

Eli shakes his head, "I need to know it's okay so that we don't have another Gregor incident."  
"Listen man, they don't care, okay? They won't notice if I'm gone."  
Eli's face pales slightly, and he finds a sudden interest in his mug. "Oh. Okay. Uh, meet me at the bookstore on Main then, at seven."

"In the morning?"  
"Yeah, _in the morning_. It takes a while to get there."  
"Fine. See you then."

"Ah, don't wear clothes you particularly like," Lizzie says hurriedly. "They'll probably burn them."

Ben stares blankly at her. "They're gonna _what_?"  
Eli shakes his head. "They let me keep my stuff this time. Disregard. Just dress warm. Bring some food and money, I'll take care of the other stuff."  
"Ok. Sure."  
"See you tomorrow then?" Eli asks.

Ben nods, "See you tomorrow."  
Lizzie sighs, pulling at her hair slightly. "Please try to bring my brother home, Ben."  
"I'll try my best, Lizzie."  
"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

"Dude, wake up."

Ben grumbles something under his breath as he sits up, wincing at the crick in his neck. "Shit…What?" mutters, looking to Eli.

"We're like halfway there. I'm getting gas. You can go take a bathroom break if you need it. I'll be in once I fill the car up to get food and junk too."  
"Sounds good."  
Ben gets out of the car, stretching, before burrowing his face back into his coat, shivering at the sudden chill. He walks into the gas station, giving the man at the counter a little wave, before migrating towards the snack aisle. He's still half asleep, and isn't actually focusing on what's in the aisle, and spends a couple minutes staring blankly at a bag of cheetos. Eli taps him on his shoulder what feels like a moment later, but from the look on Eli's face, he's been zoned out for a little bit.

"You find anything you want?" Eli asks.

Ben blinks, and forces a smile, grabbing a bag of Chex Mix off the shelf. "Yeah. This is good. You get anything?"  
"I'll take a quick look."

Ben nods, and takes his bag to the counter. He sighs as he pays, realizing he made a poor choice. He didn't even _like _Chex Mix all that much. Whatever. Lamenting about a snack mix was better than worrying about Gregor. Eli steps up next to him, dropping his bag of chips on the counter, giving Ben a weird look.

"You good?"  
Ben nods, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. Pockets were good. Pockets could hide shakiness and give a casual look.  
"I'm good."

When they _finally _made it, Eli managed to find parking, and then they caught a cab to the park. Ben realized just a little too late that he was blindly following Eli, and that he didn't actually know where they were going. But Eli seemed confident enough, so he decided why not.

"I need you help to move the rock."  
"The rock?"  
Ben's line of vision cleared, and he saw it. "Oh. The rock. Okay."  
Eli snorts a laugh, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck. "Yeah. I got a crowbar, so it shouldn't be too bad."  
"Neat."  
Eli slipped his bag off his shoulder and took the crowbar out, wedging it into a crack by the entrance.  
"Come help push."  
Stepping closer to the entrance, Ben lodged his shoulder against the rock and wedged his heel sin as he started to shove against the rock. After a couple moment, a cracking sound split the air, and the rock slid past the opening, sending Ben slipping back.  
"Jesus-!"

Eli smiled as he offered a hand to help him up, heaving Ben back to his feet.

"Sorry. Didn't think it would go that fast."  
"Whatever," Ben grumbles, peering around the rock and into the black opening. "Are we gonna go in?"  
"Yeah. Here, take this."  
Accepting the flashlight Eli gave him, he adjusts his backpack straps and steps into the darkness. Eli follows, sliding the rock back into place behind them.  
"Let's go."  
"You know where you're going, right?" Ben asks, casting the flashlight beam around.

"It's a tunnel, Ben. There's not really another way to go."

"Fair point. But like, when does it become _Underland _tunnel?"  
"I dunno. I think around when the concrete turns to stone. Gregor actually knew, but that's just what I remember."

"How are we gonna get down there?"

"I wrote a note," Eli says, "I'll find a cockroach or rat and give it to them so they can give it to their Underland buddies."  
"Right. God, this is so weird."  
"You get used to it. Probably."  
Ben manages a strained laugh, kicking a stray rock. "This is all crazy."  
Eli shrugs, but stops, turning his own flashlight to the wall. Stone.  
"Looks like we're close."  
Ben turns his flashlight onto Eli, watching as he grabs a crumpled note from his pocket, and starts to study the ground.

"Find someone who can take it," Eli says, flashing his light around.

Ben glances to the ground, half heartedly looking.

"There!" Eli said, sounding excited. He places his note on the ground, and Ben watches as it gets carried away by a small team of cockroaches. "Alright," Eli says, sounding proud of himself. "Now we wait. I mentioned you were here."  
"Oh, Gregor's gonna love that."  
"I'm sure it'll be fine."

They both sit, their bags in between their legs as they stare at the other side of the tunnel.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Ben asks.  
"I don't know. Hopefully not long."  
"How are you handling all this so well? I mean, I know I ran into this, but also, if I had thought about it, there's no way I would've still had the courage to come."  
"That's fair." Eli laughs. "I dunno. I guess...I wanted answers at first. And now I want to bring Gregor back for his family. They're really upset about it all. Just wait until you actually meet some of the Underland creatures. It'll definitely be interesting."  
"Ripred is one of them, right?"  
"Yeah, he's a huge rat. I...did not handle the first meeting well. Well, I met Temp first. That was terrifying."  
"I think I would probably cry if any of them came up to me. I can't handle normal rats as is."

"Nah. I mean, okay, it's really surprising and _slightly _terrifying at first, but you get used to it really quick."  
Something scrabbles over Ben's foot, and he shudders, looking to see what it was. A rat. It looked like a normal rat, though it held a piece of paper in its teeth. It stared at him for a moment, before dropping the paper besides his shoe, and backing away, starting to groom itself.

Eli looked to Ben, motioning to the paper. Ben hesitated, before picking it up, and unfolding it.

It was Gregor's handwriting-hurried and slightly sloppy.

'_Eli, take Ben and go back. He can't be here. Ripred would kill him. Go.'_

Ben stares at the paper, re-reading the fifteen words that looked back up at him. Ripred was the rat. Gregor said he would kill him.

"Hey, Eli. So, maybe this wasn't the best idea! We should head back."  
Eli stretches over to read the note, before scoffing. "He's _bluffing_. Ripred is nice. Ish. He's nice-ish. He won't kill you without good reason."

"That makes me feel _so _much better, Eli. Thanks."  
Eli shrugs, taking the note from Ben and turning it over to the blank side, getting a pen from his backpack. Ben can't read what he writes in reply, but the rat has it a moment later, and runs away.

"Are we leaving?" Ben asks carefully. He desperately hopes the answer is 'yes'.

"Absolutely not." Eli says, putting his pen away. "We already came all the way here. Plus, I miss Hazard. He's a sweet kid."  
"Alright, then. I guess we wait."  
Eli pulls his hood up, and leans back against the wall, shivering slightly. "I know I've got enough layers, but it still gets cold down here."  
"Yeah, well. It's winter. In New York. _Underground_. Of course it's gonna be cold."  
"Hey, what you were saying yesterday, about your parents-how they wouldn't notice you missing…"

Ben hums, shrugging. "Did I say that?"

"Yeah. You did. You kinda got defensive about it all…"  
"Yeah, well, let's just say they don't really care about me."  
"But, Ben, they're your _parents_."  
"Listen, Eli." Ben sighs. "Not everyone lands with ace parents, okay? Not everyone can get parents like yours or Gregor's! At least I turned out fine." Ben says, laughing. It sounded weak to his own ears.

"Ben…"  
Ben scuffs his sneaker against the floor, when clicking on the stone further down the tunnel catches his attention. Ben grabs his flashlight and beams it further down the tunnel, and manages to squash his scream. Eli jumps to his feet though, and grins, stepping towards the giant rat.

"Ripred!"  
Ben gets to his feet, staying as far away as he can from Ripred.

"Ben," Eli says, "This is Ripred."  
Ripred bares his teeth in a smile, and gives Ben a look over. "Brought me a fresh meal, Overlander?"  
Ben wilts, while Eli only laughs. Ben doesn't find the situation amusing, but he wasn't in a state to argue.

"Of course not." Eli says. "You saw the note, yes?"

"Yes. Gregor sent a response."  
"Then why are you here?"  
Ripred swishes his tail, smacking it against the wall, flattening his ears slightly. "To bring you to him, of course. That stupid pup wouldn't accept help even if he was about to get eaten alive. Which _has _happened before. Plus, there's a bit of a situation, and me and the Queen can't keep a constant eye on him."  
Ben manages to find his voice, clearing his throat quickly to make sure he doesn't squeak. "What kind of situation?"  
He still squeaks, and he glares at Eli's back when he laughs.

Ripred, _thankfully_, doesn't comment on it. "There's some people who want Gregor to be someone he's not. And they won't stop until they get what they want. Also-they're a group of murderers."

"_Oh_. Okay. That's uh…"  
"You mean the Warrior?" Eli asks.

"Yeah, isn't that guy dead?" Ben questions.

Ripred cocks his head slightly, sitting back on his haunches. "You're informed about this, then?"  
"Uh, a little bit. Lizzie told me most of everything."

"Ah." Ripred sighs. "Lizzie."  
Ben couldn't be sure, but he thought that he saw the rat's shoulders droop slightly at her name.

"Regardless," Ripred says, "Let's go."

"Do we get to fly on the bats?" Ben asks, finding himself somewhat excited.

"No, you'll ride on my back."  
Ben glances to Eli, grabbing his backpack straps tightly. "What?"  
Ripred flicks his tail and smacks the ground by Ben's feet, giving what might've been a laugh. "Like I would let you ride on my back. Of course you'll ride a flyer."

"Of course. My bad."  
Ripred gives Ben an annoyed look, then turns and starts leading them down the hallway.

"Did you get Caerus to come?" Eli asks Ripred, jogging to keep up.

Ripred doest reply, and instead pulls up short at an opening.

Ben peers over the edge, before backing away. "What's that?"

"The opening to the Waterway," Ripred says.

"Oh."  
A bat's face pops out from the shadows a moment later, nearly scaring Ben half to death. But Eli grins, and he runs towards the bat.

"Careus!"  
The bat chirps something to Eli, and Eli drops down into the opening. Ben nearly screams, until Eli reappears a second later on bat's back.

"Come on! They're really nice, so don't worry, Ben."

"What about you?" Ben asks Ripred.

Ripred looks irritated and swishes his tail. "I have my own ways to get around. Not everyone is dependent on the flyers like the humans are."  
Ben nods, looking out over the drop. A silvery bat without a rider was making circles and looked up once Ben entered the opening.

"Hello, Overlander."  
"Hi. I'm Ben."

"I am Orbona."  
Orbona flew closer to the opening, until Ben could easily drop down onto their back. He did so very, _very _carefully.

"Ben," Eli calls, "She won't drop you!"  
Ben feels his cheek flush, and gives Eli a rude gesture. "I know that! Just give me a second!"

Finally gathering up his courage, Ben drops down onto Orbona's back, and immediately grabbed on tightly.

"You do not need to hold so tight, Overlander," she purred.

"Sorry…" Ben mutters, loosening his grip.

"I'll meet you there," Ripred says, before turning and vanishing from sight.

"Ben, turn your flashlight off."  
Ben stares at Eli, and shakes his head. "Why?"

"Because the bat's don't need it, and you won't need it cause you're not doing anything. Save the battery."  
Ben looks down to the glowering flashlight in his hand, sighs, and clicks it off, sending the world into complete darkness.

"I don't like this." Ben complains.

"You'll get used to it," Eli says, somewhere off to Ben's left .

"Are you ready, Overlander?" Orbona asks.

"Y-yeah? I guess…"  
Without another word, Orbona shoots off into the darkness, eliciting a scream from Ben. He hunches over her back, gripping the fur as they flew through the darkness, trying to calm himself down.

"It's fun, isn't it?" Eli yells.

"If you think this is fun," Ben starts, "There's something _seriously _wrong with you!"

Eli only laughs, and then Ben looses him to the darkness.

When they land in the High Hall, Eli jumps from Careus' back, and steps to his head to talk to him. Ben slides of Orbona's back, and sees that Ripred was already here.

"You finally get here." he sighs.

Ben crosses his arms, squinting at the rat. "Where's Gregor?"  
"On his way. He's pretty pisses off though, so I'd watch out a bit. His temper is still pretty nasty."  
"Gregor's never had a-  
What the hell are you _doing _here?"  
Maybe he did have a temper. But, Ben thinks, he looks better.

"I was worried about you." Ben starts.

Gregor gives him an incredulous look, shaking his head. "_Worried?_ We're not-we're barely even friends!"  
Ouch. Ben stiffens, fighting to keep himself calm. "I-I...It's been like, a _week_! You weren't in school, and I just...I was worried about you. So I went to your house and met Eli and...everything else."  
Gregor levels a glare to Eli, who holds his hands up in surrender, a crooked smile on his face. "Hey, man. Sorry. There was a bit of a misunderstanding about how much he knew."  
"How could there have been a _misunderstanding_? Nothing! He knew nothing!"  
"Gregor, I just-"  
"No. Shut up. I'll talk to you when I get back cause you have to leave right now."  
Ben stares at him for a moment, before scoffing. "What? No way. I came all the way ehre, on a terrifying flight-" he turns to Orbona and offers a slightly embarrassed smile, "No offense. And," he continues, "You expect me to turn around and go right back the moment you throw a hissy fit? The Underland isn't _yours, _Gregor."  
"Obviously not," Gregor says, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "It belongs to the creatures and people that live in the Underland."  
"Exactly." Ben says, giving a triumphant huff. "I may not have stumbled across the Underland like you did, but there's nothing saying that I can't be here."  
Gregor mashes his lips together, knowing Ben was right, but being too stubborn to admit it. Ripred finally decides to cut in, having had his fill of angst from the two boys.

"Now that that's out of the way, how about we get down to why I let the Overlander come, yes?"  
"My name's Ben."  
Ripred ignored him. "Now, Gregor. You're going to listen to me before you throw a fit, because I know you will. I have decided to let your friends stay here to look after you."  
Gregor straightens, eyes flashing with indignation. "They will _not-_"  
Ripred slashed his tail at Gregor's feet, narrowing his eyes. "Silence, pup. I didn't ask for your opinion on the matter."  
Gregor crosses his arms, and seethes silently, scuffing his foot against the floor.

"Your friends will stay here," Ripred continues, "Until we can figure out what's happening with the group that's ah-after your dead alter ego. We'll keep working, but otherwise, you'll have them with you. That should help with the group approaching you at all."  
"Are you done?" Gregor finally asks.

Ripred pauses, as if thinking. "Mhm. Yeah. I think so."  
"Great!" Gregor says, uncrossing his arms, letting them fall to his sides where they clenched into fists. "That's not happening. I don't need _watchmen_. I said I would go along with your 'helping', and I have. They know nothing worthwhile about the Underland. So just leave me alone, and I'll be fine. I can fight again."  
"No. You can defend well enough, but you're still awful at the defensive. Even when you're raging you default to defense. And though that's not always a bad thing, defense won't always win a battle. So get used to it."

All Ben could do is give Eli a helpless look, who only shrugged in answer. Ben barely knew Ripred, but already knew this was just how the rat was. You didn't argue with a giant rat who could kill you. It simply wasn't something to be done.

"Gregor, dude, I didn't know-"

"Yeah, Ben. I know."  
Ben can't help but think that he sounds tired.

"How do you even tell time down here?" Ben asks.

Gregor shrugs, pushing the food around on his plate. Ben and Eli had already bathed and changed into normal Underland clothing, and they were all now sat in Gregor's room around a table, eating dinner from a cart that had been brought in.

"I dunno. Most of the time I've been down here I wasn't really _in _Regalia. And if I was there was always some battle or I was-" Gregor cuts himself off, his thoughts starting to drag back to that dark, dark cell. "I-I guess they've got a system down here, but no one's told me about it. I just kinda go along with everyone."  
"Oh. Cool."

Ben turns back to his food, suffocating in the awkwardness of the entire situation. He was just glad Eli was here, otherwise Ben thinks he might have gotten ignored completely.

"So, uh, what was Ripred talking about earlier? The helping?"

Gregor looks up from the fish he was about to take a bite from, narrowing his eyes. Ben wished he hadn't asked.

"None of your business."  
Ben wisely turns back to eating, shoving a bite of some sort of fish into his mouth. At least it tasted good.

"What's up with the whole group thing?" Eli asks, setting his fork down. "What was Ripred talking about?"  
"Oh, yeah," Ben mumbles, peeking up to Gregor. "What was that about?"

Gregor only sighs and rubs at his eyes. "Yeah. Ok. I guess I can talk to you about that. There's this group that's after me. They call themselves the Interfectores. They're all about how the Warrior isn't dead. How he's still alive in me."  
They all sit in silence for a couple moment, before Gregor pushes his plate away. Ben thinks he's going to leave, but he doesn't.

"They think he's still alive. That's crazy, isn't it? He died three years ago. I killed him."

It sounds more like Gregor is trying to convince himself than them, and Ben remains quiet.

An awkward laugh suddenly bursts from Gregor, and he runs his hand through his hair, looking away from Eli and Ben.

"You okay, Gregor?" Eli asks softly.

Gregor looks back up to him, his blush apparent even through his darker skin. "Yeah. All good. Just…" Gregor breaks off into nervous laughter, and after a couple of moments, Ben thinks he might be crying. Eli looks incredibly uncomfortable, but clears his throat slightly, pushing his plate away.

"You wanna talk or something?"  
Gregor shoots to his feet, wiping at his face, looking determined. "No. I need to find Phobos."  
"The bat?" Ben asks, "Why do you need to find him?"  
Gregor takes a deep breath, puffing it out slowly, before giving Ben a hesitant smile. "I have a question I need to ask him."

##

Gregor had managed to find Caerus to pass a message along, but then he was left to wait. So he wandered the palace, peeking into the longer corridors that were dark, clicking to see. They were mostly empty, though some seemed to be storage alcoves. Gregor had just ducked out of one full of what looked like cloth, when he heard his name.

"Gregor?"

He turned to see Luxa, who looked confused to see him.  
"Where are your friends? Ripred told me that they would be accompanying you."  
"Yeah. I didn't really sign up for that. Besides, right now I'm waiting 'cause I need to talk to Phobos."  
"Ah. I see. Walk with me?"  
"Of course."

Gregor fell into step besides Luxa as she lead them easily through the palace.

"There is this place I like to go to." she says, taking a turn. "It is a balcony that has a good view of the city. Most rooms and balconies cannot see over the wall."  
"How'd you find it?"  
"Henry found it." Luxa says, her tone clipped.

"Oh."  
They made their way through the palace, until Luxa stopped them at a doorway.

"Come on," she says, smiling. Gregor follows her through the door, and has to take a second to catch his breath. Because it was beautiful. The city was lit with torches that glimmered in the distance.

Luxa goes and sits on the edge of the balcony, her legs dangling over the edge.

"Come sit." she says.

Gregor swallows back his fear, and sits next to her, his legs hanging over the considerable drop.

"I feel like we have not been able to talk." Luxa says. "We have always been busy doing _something_. How are you?"  
"I'm okay. I'm getting better. How come-how come this stuff never effected you this bad?"  
She's quiet. "You know my parents died. From that, I do not think much would be as bad."

"Oh."

"I missed you greatly." Luxa says with a sigh.

Gregor smiles, turning towards her. "I missed you, too."  
"I am glad you are back. The Interfectores worry me, but I am confident that we can keep you safe from them. They cannot hurt you while you are with me."  
"What about Trexton? He's one of them, isn't he?"  
She hums for a second, before her hand grabs his. "I promise you, Gregor. I will protect you. They cannot be many in the palace."  
"But what if they are?"  
"Your friends can protect you."  
"...You've met Eli. Ben isn't much better. What are they gonna be able to do?"  
"Hopefully by giving you numbers, it will become too difficult of a task for the Interfectores to try and attack you. They do not know of your friends and their lack of survival skills."

"I guess. Do you think Phobos is here by now?"  
"I would think so. We can return."  
"Yeah."  
Gregor and Luxa stand, taking one last look out over the city. Luxa grabs Gregor's hand, tugging him back into the palace.

"Let us go."

When they arrive at the High Hall, Phobos is waiting with Caerus. Gregor gives him a small wave, before being yanked out of the hall by Luxa. She grabs both his hands, squinting slightly as she looks into his face.

"Luxa…?"

She shakes her head, dropping his hands. "Nothing, Gregor."

Luxa peers down either hallway quickly, before kissing his cheek quickly. "I hope your conversation with Phobos goes well."

And then she took off.

Gregor blinks, reaching up to touch his cheek lightly, before blushing. He buries his face in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Oh my _god_." He whispers.

Gregor takes a moment more to fight the blush away, before walking back into the High Hall.

Phobos flutters over to him, looking curious.

"Gregor. What did you need?"  
"I needed to ask you a question. Can we-can we go to the place?"

Phobos nods, and Gregor hops on his back; and Phobos taking off a moment later.


	6. Chapter 6

Gregor and Phobos flew over the Waterway, the silence pressing down on them. Gregor was trying to think of the best way to bring the topic up, when the flapping of wings caught his attention. Two other bats were coming up, both with riders on their backs.

"Phobos?" Gregor whispers, "What's going on?"  
"I do not know."

They continue on, with the other bats flanking them.

"Set down somewhere," Gregor says, panic starting to grip his throat. "Anywhere. Just land."  
Phobos nods, and veers off to a large rock outcropping jutting from the Waterways wall. The other bats followed. As they set down, Gregor noticed one of them was Trexon. He didn't recognize the other one, but he didn't look too friendly.

"Warrior. You must come with us." Trexon says.

Gregor stares at him for a moment, before shaking his head. "_What_? No. The Warrior is dead. I'm not going anywhere with you."

Trexon nods to the other man, who draws his sword and brandishes it at Gregor in one smooth motion. Gregor's hand gravitated to his side, before realizing he wasn't armed. Of course he wasn't. Why would he be?

"Trexon, tell him to put it away. I'm not going anywhere with you."  
Trexon laughs, and Gregor realizes he doesn't look all that sane. "Of course you're coming with us. We have plans for you, Warrior. Big plans that we need you for."  
"There'll be people looking for me. You can't just take me."  
"Of course we can. They'll never find you."  
Gregor takes a step back, bumping into Phobos. _Phobos_. He couldn't let him get hurt.

"What are you gonna do if I refuse to come with you?" Gregor asks, anxiety twisting his stomach.

"We will kill that bat of yours. Make it look like both of you suffered a horrible accident. Of course, _you _would not actually be dead."

Gregor fought against the rising panic, feeling like he might be sick. "If I come with you, you'll let Phobos go?"  
"Of course."

"Gregor, you cannot-"  
"Phobos." Gregor turns to him, trying to give a smile, though he's sure his terror was blatantly obvious. "Just go."  
Phobos hesitates, but flutters off the outcropping, flying back towards Regalia.

"You can't hurt him." Gregor says.

"We will not." Trexon says. "If you want him free, then it shall be done."

"Fine. Then-then let's go."

Trexon nods to the other man, who gives Gregor a smile, his sword still drawn.

"You must understand, Warrior," he starts, "We cannot allow you to know where you will be."  
"What-"  
In a swift movement, the man whacks the hilt of his sword against Gregors head, and then Gregor is gone.

##

Learning that Gregor was missing wasn't exactly Ben's favorite thing. Especially when Ripred came storming into the room, looking completely murderous.

"How did you lose him?" Ripred snaps, teeth bared.

Eli stands his ground, but Ben takes a big step back, not wanting to get any fingers bitten off. He somehow doubted that Ripred would care right now if one of them got a bit banged up.

"He just-he said he needed to talk to Phobos-" Ben manages.  
"And you let him go? _Alone_?"

"Ripred," Eli says, "He was upset. Phobos told us he saw Gregor with Luxa right before they left. Maybe she knows."  
"No. Phobos said he was taken by that Trexon man. An Interfector. Who knows where they're holding him."

"But, I mean," Ben starts, "What can they exactly do to him? They kinda like, worship him...don't they?"  
Ripred whirls to him, tail lashing behind him, eyes narrowed. "They will make him kill Gnawers. They will make him kill again. I was not training him to kill again. I was training him to keep control so he keeps himself and others safe. They will tear that down. They will _ruin _him again."

Ben swallows hard, looking to Eli, who looks upset.  
"Ripred, we'll find him."  
"Not in time! They kill any Gnawer, regardless of age or ability to fight back. We've found pups bodies. _Pups_. Slaughtered when they couldn't even fight back. They're all monsters. If they turn him into one of them, it will destroy him."  
"But it's _Gregor_!" Ben protests, "He's...he'd never do that!"

"He went with them because they threatened to kill Phobos. If he had been alone, there's no way he would have gone that easily."

"Ripred, he's...we have to find him. Grace is depending on us to bring him back." Eli says, his face scrunching with worry, "Grace...she can't lose him."

"You think I don't know that?" Ripred snarls, "Her family is one of the most important things to her. If we don't bring Gregor back to her…"

"Luxa can help, can't she?" Ben asks.

Ripred shakes his head. "She's upset, but she's a Queen. She has her own responsibilities she must attend to. We start the search tomorrow morning. They must be keeping him somewhere in the city."

#

Gregor wakes up with a headache and a sizable knot on his forehead. He groans, which lights up the small room with ease. There was a hatch above him, but it was too high to reach. Which meant he could only come out as they wanted. Great. He clicked again, and realized there was a pot in the corner, as well as a small tray with food and water. He shuffled over to the tray, and drank the water, which was the best thing he'd had all day. Gregor closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind. He'd find a way out of this. He had to.

#

Ben thanked the guard for the directions, and peeked his head into the room that had been signaled to belong to Ripred. The rat was still awake, and perked up when Ben entered.

"Ah. It's only you."

Ben scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Don't sound too excited to see me."  
Ripred doesn't say anything, only curls back up. Ben hesitates, before sitting cross legged across from him.

"Why are you so...why are you so worried about Gregor?" Ben asks. "I mean," he rushes, "Obviously you'd be worried-I'm worried too, but you just seem-" Ben gestures vaguely, unable to come up with the right word.

"Gregor is important to me." Ripred finally says. "His family-his sisters, his parents-they've all gone through too much. He was a child. His parents care about him and his sisters. I can't tell them I've lost their only son."  
"But we'll find him."

Ripred flattens his ears in displeasure, but doesn't say anything. Ben suddenly feels sick.

"You don't...you don't think we'll find him."

Ripred shrugs, his tail twitching slightly. "I believe we will find him. I don't know how we will find him. If he will be worse than as he came here."

"Maybe-maybe we could convince them to take me or something. Say that Gregor wasn't actually the Warrior."  
Ripred gives him a flat look. "You could never pass as the Warrior. Besides, your parents would then be losing a child."  
"They wouldn't." Ben says sharply. "It's fine if I'm stuck here if it gets Gregor back up there."  
"Don't be stupid, pup."  
"I'm not! Listen, my parents don't care about me. They wouldn't know that I'm missing. Not for a long time, anyway."

Ripred hesitates, but shakes his head. "Regardless of that, we must find Gregor. Go to sleep, and we'll start in the city tomorrow."

#

The hatch eventually opened, revealing the man from the-night? Day?-before. He lowers down a ladder, and after a moment of hesitation, Gregor climbs up it, emerging into a dimly lit room, occupied by two other people. One was Trexon, the other a woman.

Trexon smiles when Gregor emerges, drawing a small dagger from his belt. Gregor once again wishes he was armed.

"We have something we need you to do, Warrior." Trexon says. "We caught one of the Infectors in the tunnels. Disgusting little thing."

"What's an infector?" Gregor asks cautiously.

"An Infector is part of the Infestation. Or, as everyone else kindly calls them: Gnawers. They need to be eradicated so that the Underland can progress."

Gregor doesn't want to know the answer, but finds himself asking anyway. "So the Underland can progress to what?"  
"To a better tomorrow, of course."

They were insane.

"We need you to dispose of the Infection. That is your new purpose, Warrior. You fought the Bane in the last war, and now this new war calls for you again."

The worst part of all this, Gregor thinks, is how sure they sound of themselves. They truly believed every single word they were saying.

"And why would I kill for you?"  
"Because if you don't, we'll make it worse for the creature. Make it tell us where the others are hiding."  
Gregor feels sick. "You mean torture. You're gonna torture a gnawer for information."  
"Of course we won't-if you give it a merciful end. Such as you should have given the Bane."  
Gregor jolts, something like guilt filling his veins. "The Bane was just a pup. What was I supposed to do? Kill it?"  
"But you did kill it. You just waited too long. If we had been strong then, we would have finished it off. We understand you needed to save face. We know that you would have killed it otherwise. So now we're giving you a second chance."  
Gregor doesn't like the sound of that at all.

"Come with us." Trexon says. "Kill part of the Infection."

#

Ben slumps down in his seat, poking at his lunch. Any bit of appetite he might have had vanished when he saw Ripred shoving fish into his mouth, and he shoved his plate away.

"Not hungry?" Eli asks.

"Suddenly, not anymore. We didn't have any luck finding Gregor. We need to find one of those Interfectors and like, interrogate them."  
"With what interrogation room?"

"Uh…"

"And with what interrogation techniques? We're kids, we don't know how to do that."

"I've watched tv. I could do it!" Ben protests.

"Dude, these people know how to actually fight! You'd get killed!"  
Ripred snorts with laughter, ignoring the rude gesture Ben gives him.

"These people would rather die than let their heinous ideology die."  
"But we can't kill them!"

Eli gives Ben a sideways look, squinting at him. "Dude. They're used to that down here. I mean, not other humans, but fighting and stuff-that's kinda what they do."  
Ben clenches his jaw, giving Eli a stony look before looking away. "You know what? Whatever. You guys obviously aren't serious about trying to find Gregor."

He regrets it as soon as the words leave his mouth.

Eli slumps in his seat, taking a sudden interest in his food, while Ripred snaps down another fish, before getting up and storming from the room.

"I didn't-" Ben starts, "I didn't mean it like that, I just-"  
"We're all worried, Ben." Eli says with a sigh. "You think we don't feel guilty about any of this? I'm the one who brought him down to begin with. We've all got things we would've done differently if we knew how it would've turned out. We'll find Gregor. We have to."

#

They took Gregor down into the tunnels, but he still had no idea where exactly he was. They hadn't exactly allowed him time for a leisurely look-around before they pushed him down into a tunnel opening. Now they crept along; the torches sputtering slightly in the draft. It was a comfort to Gregor to know that at least they couldn't use echolocation-if a chance to escape came up, he would have to try and take it.

"Almost there now," the woman says, a smile evident in her voice.

They take a curve in the tunnel, and suddenly the air feels much colder.

"Where are we?" Gregor asks.

Trexon gives him an unamused look. "Regalia. Underneath it."

"Right."

They may be insane, but they weren't stupid, Gregor decides. They weren't going to let him go easily. Gregor eyes the dagger on Trexons belt, wondering how fast he would need to be. Everyone else had swords or was unarmed-and swords weren't good in close quarters like this. Though Gregor was at the disadvantage, not knowing where he was, or if he'd be able to get to someone who would help him. He wished Ares was here-he'd have an idea. Or at least provide a way to get them away once Gregor fought his way out.

"Here we are."

Gregor looks up at the Gnawer, and something in his heart breaks. It was a pup. This is what they had meant by a second chance. Gregor fights back the sudden feeling of tears as he realizes if he doesn't kill the pup-they planned to _torture _it.

"It's just a baby." Gregor says quietly.

"And?" the woman asks, "The Infection is always growing. The young ones being cleansed ensures it can't spread any quicker. It doesn't give it more strength."  
The pup had finally noticed them, and skittered back into a corner, crying. Trexon smiles at it, laughing.

"Look at it. It knows what's coming."

Gregor's chest feels tight, and he struggles to take a breath. "You want me to kill them?"  
"Or don't. You know the other option."  
"I-" Gregor stares at the pup huddled in the corner, crying for their mother. Gregor didn't feel optimistic that the pup's mother was still alive. "I'll do it."  
It feels like signing any last bit of his humanity away. But, he thinks, it would be worse if he let _them _hurt the pup.

"Cicero-" Trexon says, "Give him the sword."

The other man-Cicero-draws his sword, offering it to Gregor. Gregor accepts it with shaking hands, clenching his jaw hard to prevent tears. Gregor crept towards the pup, trying not to scare it any more than it already was.

"Hey, little buddy…"

The pup stared up at him with wide eyes; whiskers twitching madly.

"Hey, I-I'm sorry…" Gregor whispers. "Close your eyes for me, alright? I'll take you to your mom."

The pup looked up at him for a second more, before closing its eyes tightly; still shaking. Gregor choked down a sob, squeezing his eyes shut. "You'll see your mom real soon."

Gregor raised his sword, aiming for where it would end it quickly. With as little pain as possible.

#

"Ripred!"

Ben slides into the room, Eli hot on his tail.

"What happened?"  
"They killed another pup. Or rather-I think they made Gregor do it."  
Ben feels his heart crawl up into his throat, and he can barely breathe.

"What?" Eli blurts, looking horrified.

"We found it outside the city." Ripred says. "One strike, straight to the heart. They didn't suffer much."

"How...how do you know it was Gregor?" Ben finally manages.

"_Because _it was a quick kill. Usually they make them suffer. Probably for information. But..._pups_." Ripred snarls something under his breath, gnashing his teeth together.

"Killing pups is despicable. I'm killing them as soon as we find Gregor."  
"Will-will Luxa allow that?" Eli asks carefully.

Ripred stands, towering above him, giving Eli a cold look. "I don't care if she'll allow it."  
Eli takes a step back, paling slightly. "Right. Of course."

Ripred settles back down, curling his tail around himself. "I think they're using the tunnels."  
Ben shakes his head. "Wait-there's _tunnels_?"

"Just because it's underground doesn't mean there's nothing below." Ripred says.

"I mean, I guess."  
"There's not really that many tunnels," Ripred says, "They were used for transport and escape routes before they got mostly forgotten about. That's the only way I can think people would be able to transport a corpse without getting caught or noticed."  
"So what do we do? Just go hunting in the tunnels?"

Ripred scoffs. "Of course not. Don't be stupid. _You _aren't coming, first of all. I will bring Luxa with me."  
"I thought Luxa wasn't allowed to-"  
"Luxa can come." Ripred interrupts. "She would want to be there. Besides, it will take time to go through the tunnels. Luxa should also have access to the maps."  
Eli nudges Ben, pursing his lips. "So it's not that he wants Luxa along," he whispers, "It's just that she's got something he wants."  
Ben suppresses his smile, shaking his head slightly. "Alright. We won't come then. Just find Gregor for us."

#

Gregor sat back in the cell, staring at the blood on his hands. It had dried and was starting to flake off, but he could still feel the warmth from it. The blood covered his clothes and stuck to him in some places. He wanted to go anywhere that wasn't here. Anywhere where he hadn't just killed a baby. Oh god, what had he done?


	7. Chapter 7

Gregor wished that that was the first and last time he had to kill anyone for them. He wished it was the last time he had to kill a child. In what you _could _call luck-they didn't catch children much. The parents of gnawers had apparently gotten the message that they would go after anyone, which meant (according to Trexon) that they either hid them away or killed them before the Interfectores could get to them. Gregor hoped they hid them away. He deserved that at least, he thought.

#

Ben sat down across from Riped, closing his eyes against the irritated look he gives him.

"We're never gonna find him, Ripred." Ben whispers. "You and Luxa have searched nearly all the tunnels, and you haven't found anything. No blood or anything. How am I supposed to tell his family this? What about Lizzie? She's just a kid."  
"You're just a kid."

Ben opens his eyes, looking to Ripred. "Yeah, but I'm older. I'm supposed to be able to help her."  
"Sadly, that's not how the world works, pup. I'm _older _and I've needed both Luxa and Gregor's help on multiple counts. Age doesn't always equate to ability, as much as I hate to admit it."

"But, _Ripred_. We're not making any progress, and I can't just _sit _here any longer!"  
Ripred flattens his ears, scratching his claws against the stone before thumping his tail slightly. "Fine. Tomorrow you come with us. You can see exactly what we're trying to search through. Why we're not making progress. Then you can come and complain to me that we're not getting anywhere."

Ben mashes his lips together, hands tightening into fists. He scrambles to his feet, and runs out the door, and turns the corner before he crashes into someone. He stumbles back, trying to decide if he's too angry to apologize, before he realizes who it is. Luxa. He should probably apologize.

"L-Luxa-I'm sorry, I didn't-"  
She doesn't look phased at all. "It is fine, Ben. Is Ripred in his quarters?"

Ben glances behind himself, and winces. "Yeah, but...you probably don't wanna talk to him now. I think I ticked him off."

She nods, before hesitating. "Walk with me."

Ben doesn't think he's allowed to say no. So he does.

Luxa walks quickly and with purpose, even though she had told him she wasn't headed anywhere. Ben would never admit it, but he was struggling to keep up.

"Ben, you did not know Gregor all that well, did you?"  
Ben shrugs. "I mean, I was getting there, ya know?"  
She hums slightly, tilting her head slightly. "He makes a good friend. We went on several quests together. We got separated at points, but we always managed to come back together. I believe that will happen again. I know we will find him."

"But Luxa, aren't you worried? I mean-I love the guy but even Ripred's been worried about how his mental states gonna be."  
She takes a right, and stops, grabbing Ben's shirt so he doesn't get too close to the edge of the balcony. He swallows hard and stares at the drop, backing up close to the doorway.

"I think he will be fine." She says. She turns to Ben, and he can't help but notice how sad she looks. Like even though she goes around saying that they'll find Gregor-some part of her thinks he won't come back. He wonders who she's lost to make her think like that.

"But is he gonna be okay?" Ben says quietly.

Luxa smiles slightly, her eyebrows scrunching. "I hope so."

#

Gregor was so tired. He had stopped using his voice for seeing, and instead relied on the occasional tap of his fingers against the stone; which lit the room in short sporadic bursts. He just wanted to go home.

~  
Trexon takes him alone the next time. He collects him from his cell and takes him back through the tunnels.

"They are looking for you," he grumbles. "Luckily, they do not seem to have complete maps. We have managed to keep you hidden, which is how it needs to stay."  
They were looking for him. Gregor feels some small spark of hope ignite in his chest. Until they emerge from the tunnels, and they're not underground anymore. They're on the edge of a small beach on the Waterway, and as Gregor watches, Cicero emerges with a new man from a different tunnel, prodding an older looking gnawer along. From their size, Gregor guesses it's a female, but he couldn't be sure. Trexon pushes a dagger into Gregor's hands, and he feels a sudden rush of horror. He had only used swords. They were at least a little bit better than what a dagger would require.

"This one," Trexon whispers to him, "this one was found harboring pups. Can you believe that? Feeding the Infection and helping it grow."

So they had been hiding them.

"There were too many to bring back, so we got rid of the others and brought her for you. Someday you'll be leading us all."  
They had been hiding them, and now they were gone. Another small piece of Gregor's heart shatters.

The gnawer finally looks up to him. And she recognizes him. He knows she does. He can tell from the way her eyes widen slightly and her whiskers twitch in surprise.

"The Warrior." She hisses. "You are the one who had been murdering our pups."

Gregor takes a step back, but is pushed forwards again by Trexon.

"Do it, Warrior."

Gregor takes a shaky step forwards, holding the dagger loosely in his hand. Some part of him wished that maybe she would get him back for all that he had done. The other part argued that he didn't _want _to do this. But he still did.

"You are the reason our families are breaking apart. You have murdered our pups. Even we did not do that during the wars! You killers are always the ones who harm the-"

She lets out a sudden wail, and Gregor stares in horror at Cicero who had severed part of her tail. He's suddenly remembering the Bane. When his tail had been cut off. The blood and his screams. The shrieks of the gnawer bring him back though. He watches as she desperately clutches at what's left, trying to stem the flow of blood-without much luck.

"Do it!" Cicero snaps. "She is dead anyway."  
Gregor advances to her, and she looks to him, endless fury in her eyes.

"Do it." She wheezes. "Pup-killer. Murderer. You are no better than that bitch who tried to kill us all in the last war."

Solovet.

She continues to call him names and curse him until he finally plunges the dagger into her chest, the blood immediately coating the dagger and seeping onto his hands. It feels like it's burning him-but he knows it's just warm at best. He knows this, but he jerks back anyway, staring at his hands. And then he's sick.

Trexon and the others only watch to make sure he doesn't flee while they rip the dagger from the body, and then shove the corpse into the Waterway, where it starts to float away. Gregor watches it go, blood blossoming around it, before being swept away by the current. He shudders, furiously wiping his hands on his pants, but only really succedes in spreading the blood around. He finds himself wishing he was anywhere but here. Gregor wished he had never come back down here. That he could go back and redo all of this.

#

The voice of the gnawer stays with him. He feels like he can hear all the voices of the people he's killed-begging him for mercy. But of course, he's already killed them. So their cries plague him as he sits in his cell, time slipping through his fingers. Trexon had said they were looking for him. But that seems like another world. One where he had been healing and had people to support him. Now he was all alone-with people who only saw him as a dead man. So Gregor closes his eyes, and gives in. He lets the voices berate and scream at him, and accepts that his hands will never be clean. He lets himself become a dead man once again, if only to save Gregor from any more of this.

##

Ben trails after Ripred in the tunnels, his flashlight casting shadows along the rough walls.

"So, uh," Ben starts, "This how it usually goes? Pretty quite."  
Ripred whacks him slightly with his tail, not bothering to turn around. "We're hunting. We don't _want _to be loud. Or talking."

Ben ignores that this last comment was definitely directed at him, and he presses on. "We haven't seen anything new for like, an hour. Are you getting tired? I could go for a break."  
Ripred stops, and Ben nearly crashes into him. He's about to snap at him about announcing when he's going to be stopping-being a several hundred pound _rat _after all, when Ben realizes he's not just stopped. He's blocking the corridor.

"Ripred?"  
"Go back."

Ben tries to peek around him, but Ripred moves to block his view. "What is it?"  
"Nothing. Go back. Get Luxa."

Ben turns to leave, and Ripred relaxes slightly, leaving just enough space for Ben to run and squeeze by him. Ripred tries to grab him-he knows by the sharp sting of claws against his arm and the warm dribble of blood-but that's inconsequential to what Ripred had been blocking. Ben stops in his tracks, tears filling his eyes as he looks in horror at the pile of mutilated corpses. He wants to be sick. He wants to rip his eyes out and bleach his brain because who could ever do something like this? They're small for the rats down here. Something in him knows that means they were children, but he doesn't want to accept that.

Ben's flashlight clatters to the floor, sending the light spinning across the bodies, lighting them up horribly. He doesn't even realize he's shaking until Ripred yanks him back, looking like he wants to yell at him, but manages to restrain himself. Instead, he pushes him forwards with his tail, shoving him back the way they had come. Ben can't get the image out of his head.

"Gregor…?"

"No!" Ripred snaps. "He would never. Keep moving. There was a reason I didn't want you along. Bodies in the tunnels aren't new. They know we're looking for them. Those bastards."

"They-how is Gregor supposed to be okay?" Ben blubbers, wiping at his eyes. He can't stop crying. "How're we gonna get him back okay? Even Luxa doesn't think he's gonna be all there."

Well-she hadn't said exactly that, but Ben had gotten the message.

Ripred sighs. "Then we will fix him. Just as we have fixed others."  
"Others? There's been others?"  
"Well. They've more or less been...worse. And their recovery doesn't need to fit into Overland society, but...I'm sure it will be fine. If it comes down to it, we can send for his family."  
"No!"

Ripred narrows his eyes. "No?"  
"You can't bring his family down here. They can't-Ripred, they have to stay up there. If all this is going on, and it's Gregor, they can't know that!"

"Then I'm sure you have a plan for all of this."

"Of course!" Ben huffs, giving one last wipe at his face. For now he would forget the horrible scene-but it would surely visit him again tonight. Tonight and forever.

Ripred keeps Ben talking as they go through the tunnels, thankful that the pup seemed able to talk about anything and everything at length. He knew that it wouldn't erase what he had seen, but it would at least keep his mind off it for a little bit. Ripred found himself thinking not for the first time that he wouldn't mind ripping the Interfectores' heads from their bodies. See how they liked their bodies being displayed as a message that no one but them understood. They were so hellbent on eradicating something that they deemed 'dirty' that they couldn't even see that _they _were now what sullied the Underland. That they were in need of exactly what they pursued.

That night Ben jolts up in his bed, the leering faces of the gnawers still vivid. He swallows back his nausea and gets up, needing some fresh air. He wanders and eventually finds a balcony, cautiously going to sit on the edge. He swings his legs slightly, laying back and looking up to the sky. Well-the bottom of the Overland, he guesses. It's disorienting, seeing no stars. He's used to the stars. They were his frequent company when his parent were gone or worse. He finds himself wishing he was back home, even if home meant there wasn't food half the time because it was being spent on the newest addiction, and that his room always smelled like smoke. Because that was home-as much as he sometimes despised it. Ben wondered if his parents had noticed him gone yet. He forces down a swell of sadness, knowing that they probably hadn't. He wished he had a family like Gregor's. Where his mom was there and he had sisters that cared about him, and everyone was loved. Ben closes his eyes against the weighted darkness, and sighs. A place where everyone was loved. That was something he wished he could dream about.

##

The Warrior didn't see the faces anymore. He only heard the voices as they joined the already endless chorus in his head. Trexon and the others had finally let him up from the cell. Let him wash himself properly, but everytime he looked at his skin, it seemed stained. As if he had passed the point of washing it off properly, and now it was stuck to him. No matter. It wasn't as if he remembered exactly where it came from. The voices told him it was theirs. That he had stolen their light and glow. All the Warrior knew was cutting down what he was told. He had told himself that he would stop as soon as he could get away, but he didn't see why he deserved to get away at this point. There were lines you didn't cross, and he had crossed a lot of them.

They must have trusted that he wouldn't run off or attack them, because the next time the Warrior found himself slumping down against a tunnel wall from exhaustion, Trexon doesn't take the dagger back. So the Warrior tucks it away and follows them back, where he tries to sleep. He wants Luxa and Boots and Lizzie and his _family_. He sits in a corner dozing while he listens to Trexon rant to a small group of people about the Infection that was killing the Underland. The Warrior was supposed to be their big strong figure head, but when the people looked at him, they only exchanged worried looks and hushed whispers. Because that big strong figure head was looking a little beaten down, wasn't he? A little tired and scared for supposedly being the Warrior. _This _was who they were supposed to follow? He was a child.

But, the Warrior thinks, Trexon is very convincing. He manages to make his sorry state seem like a temporary thing. That he was just getting used to it. That cleansing the land took a lot of energy.

And the people agreed and nodded their heads because that sounded very reasonable to them.

So they didn't question it, and time went on.

###

Ben is walking through the city, admiring the buildings with Eli and Ripred (well, Ripred was more a glorified bodyguard) when Ripred comes to a screeching halt and his ears perk up. If Ben didn't know that he could kill him, it might've been kinda cute. You know, if it wasn't a huge rat doing it.

Ripred's whiskers twitch for a moment, before he streaks down a sidestreet, slamming an Underlander against the wall.

"Oh my _god_." Ben whispers; horrified. He runs after Ripred, Eli following.

Eli grabs at Ripred's coat, tugging slightly. "Ripred! Let him down!"

The guys friend looks more than surprised, and edges away from the furious rat.

"What were you saying?" Ripred hisses; snapping his teeth in the mans face.

The man looks like he might faint.

"Tell me!"

"Ripred!" Ben shrieks, beyond completely mortified. "Please!"  
"He was talking about the Warrior. Where is he? Tell me or I'll bite your head off."  
The man blubbers something Ben can't make out, but it seems to satisfy Ripred, because he tosses him to the ground, before his tail comes cracking down on him. The man shouts in pain, before taking a trembly wheezing breath. He's definitely alive, but he doesn't make any move to get up. His friend is gone.

"Ripred, does he mean-"  
"Let's go. Eli-find a guard. Get back to Luxa. _You_ come with me." Ripred says, nodding to Ben. "_Now_."

Ben swallows hard, and gives Eli's shoulder a squeeze before running off after Ripred.

It's made apparent about six feet into their journey that Ripred going full speed was not something Ben could catch up with.

"Ripred!" he wheezes, "Hold up, man! I don't run if I can't help it-"  
"It hasn't even been a block."

Ben gives him a pained look, before Riped grumbles something, and lowers himself slightly.

"Never expect me to extend this favor again. Get on."

Oh, thank god.

Ben clambers onto his back, and then Ripred rises up and takes off again. Ben clutches at Ripred's fur-trying not to pull at it because he wanted to keep his fingers. They whip around a corner, and Ben shrieks as he nearly goes smashing into a wall. It was _not _on his bucket list to die hundreds of feet under the earth as a smear on a wall. So he closes his eyes and crouches down, muttering some sort of prayer to himself that he just wants to come out of this in one piece. He won't even care if he gets a little bruised up. Just one piece.

#

The Warrior is staring at the dagger in his lap, half paying attention to the world around him when he hears shouting coming from one of the other rooms. He stands slowly, his body protesting. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually slept in a bed. There's a scream from the other room, and a boy comes skidding into the room, looking mildly terrified-but unhurt. It takes him a moment, but he recognizes him as Ben. He's so out of place in this hellhole that the Warrior can't help but laugh. It's an awful grating sound-more surprise than anything else, but it draws Ben's attention. And his face goes slack.

~  
Whatever Ben had been expecting when they came in the door was not a group of people sat around a small table, eating. He had been more expecting drawn swords and hardened war criminals. Not just regular looking people. It takes them about five seconds to turn from regular people to the people with drawn swords. One of them lunges at him, and he screams, but Ripred's tail smacks him out of the way, and he runs to the nearest doorway, hoping to any higher power that there weren't more sword wielding lunatics in this room. There's a sudden harsh laugh, and Ben whips to the corner; having to take a second to recognize the person sitting there. Gregor. Ben goes numb with shock as he stares at him. He was a mess. His clothes were covered in blood and mud, and his hair was a total rats nest. Bloodshot eyes and a bloody dagger in his hand. Ben isn't sure what to do. Gregor was armed, so he could _technically _be with them now, but this was _Gregor_.

Ben has to remind himself that Gregor has also been killing all those gnawers.

He watches as Gregor suddenly slaps at his ear, grimacing like he was in pain.

"Gregor?" Ben finally says. "Are you..."  
Ben trails off, watching Gregor. He groans, and slides down to the ground, the dagger clattering to the ground next to him. Ben edges over, reaching his foot out and scooting the dagger away from Gregor, before Ben can pick it up and fling it away. He crouches down next to Gregor, poking his shoulder.

"Hey, dude? You okay?"

That was a stupid question.

"Uh, we gotta go."

Gregor looks at him, his eyes slightly glazed over. "Let me get the dagger."

"What?" Ben yelps, "No! Dude! We're goin' back to Luxa! To the _palace_? You know we've been looking for you for _forever_. We gotta go though, come on."

Ben tries to heave Gregor to his feet, but doesn't have much luck.

"_Gregor_. Come on you big lug, get up."

He watches as Gregor clambers slowly to his feet, before he stares at the ground. "Where's the dagger?"  
Ben takes a deep breath, grabbing Gregor by his shoulders and shaking him slightly. "Okay! You're obviously going through some shit right now, so sure. Lets get your dagger and go."  
Ben makes sure Gregor is going to _stay _standing, before he grabs the dagger from the corner it had been flung to, and hands it to Gregor. Ripred comes busting into the room a second later, and Gregor goes stock still, his hand tightening on the dagger.

Well, shit.

"Ripred, he's not exactly all here. I'd get away."  
Ripred glances to Gregor, who has started to shake.

Ripred scoffs, shaking his head. "He won't be able to kill me, even if he wanted to. Let's go. We need to get back to the palace."

Ben edges closer to Gregor, but he doesn't seem to have any killing intent towards him-which is definitely a plus.

"Alright dude, we're gonna go. That's cool, right?"

Gregor nods slightly. "Yeah."  
His voice is raspy and quiet, like he hadn't talked in quite a while.

Ben glances to Ripred, giving a thumbs up. "Alright. Cool, cool. Those other guys good? You didn't kill them, right?"  
Ripred pauses. "No."

"That inspires absolutely zero confidence, but alright."

Ben grabs Gregor's free hand, and starts to pull him along. He passes by Ripred without any kind of freak out, and then they're passing through the main room.

"Oh, _jesus_, Ripred-"

Ripred pokes his head through the doorway, whiskers twitching. "What."  
"Where is that guys _foot_-Oh! Nevermind! There it is! In the corner! Where it's very much not attached to his _body_."  
"I didn't kill them."

Ben lets out a sort of strangled scream before he drags Gregor the rest of the way out, Ripred closely following.

"Hey, Ripred, I know this applies to me, but you think maybe you can carry Gregor there?"  
"Do I look like a pack horse?"

"Is that a trick question?"  
The look Ripred gives him is enough to shut him up. Ben tries to size Gregor up, thinking about how far he could carry him if he needed to. Going off that he couldn't even get him to stand up, his odds were not looking good.

"Why can't he just walk?" Ripred grumbles, walking to Gregor.  
"Have you seen him? He looks awful. God, did they even feed him? I mean, they _know _he's not a robot or something, right?"  
"I don't think they know what those are." Ripred snaps, going up behind Gregor. He rears up, and Ben watches in delayed horror as he smacks Gregor in the head with his paw, and he crumples.

Ben covers his mouth, letting out a sound like a deflating balloon. "What did you _do_."  
"Listen, pup-if I have to carry him, I don't need him stabbing me in the back while we go. You help me get him up, and then grab that stupid dagger. We're going home."


	8. Chapter 8

They arrive back to the palace in what Ben thinks is good time, but Ripred grumbles and complains the whole way there. Gregor-whether to his benefit or not-stays out for the whole ride back. Ben would like to say that this gave him plenty of time to think about things, but reality was closer to: he spent the whole time screaming internally to a degree, and freaking out.

When they arrive, doctors help carry Gregor to the hospital, leaving Ben and Ripred in the hallway. Ben doesn't realize he was about to collapse before Ripred's tail gives him a gentle shove forward, and he stumbles before he can get his balance back.

"Go rest." Ripred orders.

Ben doesn't argue-only spares one last look to the doorway they had just carried Gregor through. Then he goes to try and rest.

##

When he wakes up in a cold sweat what feels like hours later, Ben realizes he won't be getting any good sleep any time at all. He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes until he can see white starbursts; willing his tears away. He didn't have any right getting bent out of shape here. Gregor was suffering more than him, and he couldn't even handle a couple nightmares?

Ben sinks back into his bed, eyes straining as he tries to see the ceiling in the dark. He closes his eyes, steeling himself as the images force their way into his head; branding themselves into the back of his eyelids. The bodies and the mutilations that no one else seemed too concerned about. Ben sits up, suddenly feeling like he was going to scream. He would never admit it outloud-but he was _so _tired of the Underland. He wanted the sun and fresh air again. And as childish and stupid as it sounded-he wanted his mom.

Ben wanders around the palace, finding himself in the High Hall eventually. There's a couple of guards and bats lingering around, and Ben finds himself going up to one of the bats, cautiously clearing his throat.

The bat turns, giving him a curious look.  
"Uh-" He starts, "I was, uh, wondering if maybe you could help me find someone? A b-a flier?"  
"Who are you searching for?" They ask.

"Orbona? If-if she's free, or whatever."  
The bat nods, and says something to the guard he was standing with, before the bat flies off. The guard gives him a curious look, and Ben gives him a quick head nod, before he finds a spot against the wall, and sinks to the ground to wait.

Ben doesn't have to wait long before the bat returns with Orbona. They touch down back by the other guard, and he quickly gets to his feet, walking back over.

"Thank you," he says to the bat, before turning to Orbona.

She tilts her head slightly, giving him a curious look. "Can I help, Ben? Janus said you were looking for me. It is quite late for you to still be awake."

"Uh, yeah. Hey, can we go, like, on a fly or something?"  
A fly? That didn't sound stupid at _all_. But it wasn't like he could just say let's go for a walk.

"Where do you want to go?" She asks, fluttering her wings slightly.

"Anywhere?" Ben says, cracking a smile. "Just away from here."  
She nods, and lets him climb on, before she takes off. They fly out over the city-the streets dimly lit by the evening torches.

"Is something in particular bothering you?" Orbona asks.

Ben shrugs. "I don't know. Orbona, do you have any family?"  
She pauses for a second. "My parents were killed in the last war, along with my brother; Atropos. I do not have family left alive."  
Ben's stomach twists violently, and he feels like a total jerk for bringing it up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've asked."  
She chirps slightly, veering them away from the city. "I have found family within others, though. Family does not mean direct relation. Especially with the last war, lots of fliers lost their families. So we forged new families from what was left."  
Ben nods, still feeling bad about reminding Orbona about her family. He leans down and lays against her back, letting out a shuddering breath.

"You didn't fight in the last war, did you?"

"No, I was considered too young at the time. My brother also wished for me to stay behind. Maybe he knew he was not going to make it back."  
Ben thinks that sounds like a horrible thing. To know you would die, but still try and protect someone you would be leaving behind.

"We got Gregor back, today." Ben says. _Finally_, is what he doesn't say.

"That is good," Orbona says, sounding happy. "Him missing was becoming a problem."  
"I know."

"Is he alright?"  
Ben shrugs, screwing his mouth shut.

"Ben?"  
Ben takes a breath, clearing his throat. "I don't know." he says shakily. "From the things I saw-just the aftermath of everything, I think I would've been totally gone. I've never killed anyone, obviously, but like, you know, sometimes I keep thinking about all the bodies, and what Gregor had to go through, and it's like, who am I to complain, you know? He's had to go through all this awful crap and I'm just poppin' in at the last second to be like oh no, it's bad! Like _obviously _it's bad, but I just-"

Ben forces himself to _shut up_, and instead listens to the wind in his ears.

"I do not think you should hold yourself to him," Orbona says, looping around. "You may have not experienced what he has, but perhaps you also have experiences he cannot fathom."  
"But Gregor's like, he's got _everything_."  
"Does he? You have said yourself that Gregor has gone through awful things. Do you think he wants that?"  
"I guess not, but, just-" Ben groans, not sure how to put his thoughts into words. "I don't know."  
Orbona doesn't say anything else, but flies on, the glimmering lights from Regalia coming into view.

"I'm sorry for dragging you out here." Ben says. "It's the middle of the night and everything."  
"No worries, I was not asleep."  
"Is it weird that I kinda like all this?" Ben asks, sitting up. "I mean, the flying and everything."  
"I do not know. I would not think so. Underlanders are comfortable with flying from an early age."  
"Orbona, you're really nice."

She makes a purring noise, which Ben hopes means she's happy. "Thank you. I rather enjoy your company as well. You seem to enjoy talking."  
Ben laughs awkwardly, looking down at the city. "I guess. I don't really ever have anyone to listen. They always say I'm annoying. Eli listens too though-him and Ripred have never yelled at me for talkin' too much."  
Orbona is quiet, and they touch down in the High Hall easily.

Ben slides off her back, and thanks her again.

"I'll miss you," Ben says, "When I have to go back."  
Orbona chirps, tilting her head. "I will miss you too, Ben."  
Ben smiles, even though his stomach hurts. "I'm gonna go try to sleep. Thanks again."

He doesn't go straight back to his room. He walks around until he finds his way to the hospital wing, and peeks his head in, surprised to see the lights are brighter here than anywhere else. There's a guy in all white who looks up as he walks in, and he looks slightly confused to see him there.

"Can I help you?"  
"I'm looking for Gregor? Uh, the other Overlander."  
The doctor (Ben guesses at this, though he could be a nurse or something too) nods, and gestures for him to follow. They go to a smaller room, where Gregor is laying in a bed asleep.

"How is he?"

The doctor sighs slightly. "He is physically well. Only had a couple scratches and minor injuries. We are more concerned about his mental well being. He has been coming in and out of consciousness, and seems rather disoriented."  
Ben's chest feels tight. "Okay." He manages.

"Do you want to visit him?" The doctor asks.

Ben takes another look at him, before nodding slightly. "Sure."  
"Another thing, Overlander-he seems to be…" the doctor shifts, as if he was uncomfortable. "He seems to be having nightmares. Occasionally he will shout out. Do not be scared if he does."

The doctor leaves, and then it's just Ben and Gregor. Ben claps his hands together, huffing out a breath.

"Alright! Just you and me buddy."

He doesn't see any chairs to sit on, so instead Ben perches on the edge of his bed, watching him for a second. He doesn't look like he's having horrible nightmares. Ben taps Gregor's leg, clearing his throat slightly.

"Hey dude. Seems like you're asleep. That's cool. Uh, just. I need you to be okay, alright? Your family needs you to be alright. Ripred and everyone else too."  
Gregor remains asleep.

"You know, this was a great talk. As soon as you wake up, we can uh, start to deal with everything. I know you didn't want to kill the gnawers. I know they made you. Phobos told us about how they threatened him to get to you. You know you're really just-you're way too loyal, dude. You sacrificed yourself for a bat you've known for less than a year. I'd like to say I'm pretty ride or die for you but that's only a recent thing to be honest."  
Ben blinks back sudden tears. "Come on, man. You were doin' so good before. I know this isn't your fault-it's _my _fault-but you gotta come back soon. We all miss you. Even when you're like two seconds away from murdering my ass. Can't believe I'm missing that."  
Ben is about five seconds from turning into a sobbing blubbering mess, which would definitely not be cool if Gregor decided to wake up now. Nothing like waking up from being kidnapped with a guy crying by your bedside. Ben stands from the bed, giving Gregor's hand a little pat.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Gregor. Make sure you're awake."

#

Ben is almost successful in returning to his room without breaking down. He starts to lose it at his hallway, and by the time he's going past Gregor's (empty) room, he's full on crying. He passes Eli's room and runs into his own, diving for the bed, and hiding himself under the covers. He shoves his face into his pillow in an attempt to try and be quiet, but he must not be terribly good at it, because someone's pulling the sheets back a couple moments later.

"Ben, are you okay?"

Ben scoots away from Eli, gesturing to his face. "Do I _look_ okay, dude?"  
Eli huffs impatiently, sitting on the bed next to him. "You know it's okay to be upset about all this."  
Ben squints at Eli in the low light, watching as Eli pats the space next to him.

"You wanna talk about it?"  
Ben opens his mouth to say something stupid and avoidant, but Eli's looking at him like he actually cares, and _that's _never happened before. So he sits next to him. And he talks. And Eli doesn't tell him he talks too much when he talks about his worries with Gregor. About how he's worried that maybe Gregor won't be the same. That he won't ever be able to get better. That he'll be stuck drowning in his own trauma for the rest of his life, without anyone being able to help pull him afloat.

Eli doesn't tell him he's annoying when he talks about his nightmares. About how the bodies are sometimes gnawers. Sometimes people he knows-Eli, his parents, Gregor's family, Luxa-all twisted and dead in a pile. How he dreams about things he's never even seen-like Gregor killing the pups, and the bodies drifting in the Waterway before someone spots them.

Eli lets Ben lean against his shoulder when he quietly starts to talk about why he decided to actually come down here. As some sort of twisted test to his parents.

Eli doesn't press for any details about why he would want to test his parents, just lets him give what he wants to.

Ben asks about Eli-about his sister and his family.

Eli laughs and tells him about playing in the bookstore when they were little-how Sara would hide under the counter with a book while Eli ran around the stacks looking for her. How during the summers they would go to the river and splash and play around in it-even if it was sometimes too cold.

He talks with his hands, Ben notices. Gesturing and trying to convey words he hasn't said yet through nameless motions.

Eli tells Ben about the day Sara told them she was going to New York. How she was going to do something with her life-make a _change _that she just couldn't do from their little bookstore. He tells him about the day the police finally show up without answers. How they could only mark her as missing, even though it'd been weeks. Because there was never a body, and Eli says he now knows there never will be one. But he says the closure is enough for him.

When they're done, they sit in the quiet; exhausted.

"Thank you." Ben finally says.

##

He wakes up in a bed he doesn't recognize, in new clothes. His head hurts, and it takes him a moment to figure out where exactly he is. The hospital wing. The palace. He groans, and clutches at his aching head. The voices were being nice for once, and had lowered their usual screams to a background murmur.

"You are up!"  
The Warrior looks up to a young woman, who smiles at him. She sets a tray down on the table next to him that has water and a bowl of something that looks like soup, and tells him to lay back.

"Just have to check your temperature," she says.

He nods, and closes his eyes. He's still very tired.

"Looks like you are all good! All those scratches are healing well. Do you want some water?"  
He opens his eyes again, and nods once more.

She hands him the cup of water, and he drinks it down quickly, not having realized quite how thirsty he was.

"Now that you are awake, the queen wanted to talk to you. I will have someone go get her, so please wait here."  
The woman smiles again, and darts from the room, nearly running into Ben who jumps aside to let her past. He comes into the room, grinning when he sees him awake. Eli is behind him.

"Gregor! You're awake! Dude, this is great! Now we can help you and get you back to normal and-" Ben frowns at him. "What?"  
"Where is Trexon?"  
Ben glances to Eli, who gives him a tight smile.

"Uh," Ben says, "Further occupied at the moment." He sits on the edge of his bed, and pats his shoulder. "You doin' alright so far?"

"I'm fine." He forces out.

Ben looks doubtful. "You don't have to worry about all that stuff anymore. You're safe now. We'll get you fixed up and then we can all go home."  
He frowns, and shakes his head. "No."

"No? No...no what?"  
"I can't go back." he says simply.

Ben laughs nervously, looking to Eli for support. "What do you mean you can't go back? You told your mom you'd get help and then you'd come back."  
He shakes his head again. "I can't. There's...there's something I was supposed to do. Where's my dagger?"  
"Away. What are you supposed to do? Gregor, you don't have to do anything bad anymore."

"I wasn't." He says, though he sounds confused, like he didn't really believe all that he was saying.

"Gregor," Eli says gently, "You're okay now. We can get you help, and you can talk to Ripred and Luxa-they'll help you sort some of it out. We'll help too, of course." he says, "But you need to come on back to us. You don't have to do anything like that ever again."  
The Warrior isn't sure what to think. Except that he's tired and his head aches, and that he doesn't want to talk anymore. So he lays down, ignoring the other people trying to talk at him. The nurse returns a few moments later, with Luxa.

Oh, Luxa.

He blinks, and sits up, staring at her. It felt like forever since he had last seen her.

"Gregor." She says. "Welcome back."

He smiles, and it feels foregin on his face. "Luxa.

##

Luxa isn't sure what to think when she sees Gregor. He doesn't look terribly hurt, but he has a look about him that's _wrong. _Something about the way he moves and how he looks at the people in the room. Like he wasn't sure what he was going to do to them yet. It unsettled her in a way she couldn't fully understand, but she tried to push the feeling away so that she could be happy that he was awake and physically well. Ben and Eli are standing in the room as well, and Ben looks frustrated.

What-Luxa wasn't sure about, but Gregor was probably the reason why.

Gregor smiles when he sees her, and it's one of the worst things she has ever seen him do. It's not a smile. It's the baring of teeth from a killer, and her heart suddenly drops as the gravity of the situation hits her. This wasn't Gregor, but he was in there. She would just have to dig him out. Typical-saving Gregor from his problems.

"Ben, Eli." She says, "Perhaps you can give us some room. I need to talk to him."  
Ben looks like he wants to argue, but Eli nods, and grabs Ben's wrist to gently drag him from the room. Luxa nods to the nurse, and she ducks her head slightly before leaving.

Luxa moves to stand at the foot of his bed; him watching her the whole while.

"Who are you?" She asks.

"The Warrior." He says.

"What about Gregor?"  
"He's…" The Warrior hesitates. "Not here right now."  
"When will he be back?" Luxa asks.

The Warrior shrugs. "When my job is finished."  
"And what exactly is that? You do not want to kill the gnawers. You are not an Interfector."  
He frowns, and shakes his head. "No. I'm…"

He groans, and leans forwards, pushing his face into his hands.

Luxa is suddenly reminded of when they went to Ares' cave-how Gregor had cried and told her that he wished he had died alongside Ares. He was just lost.

"You are what?"  
"They say I'm a killer and that must be right because I can _remember _all the blood and-"  
"_Who_? Who is saying that you are a killer?"  
He finally looks up to her, looking pained. "The voices. And there's still blood on my hands so, so they're right."  
Luxa looks at his perfectly clean hands, and then back to him. "Who are the voices?"  
"The gnawers that I killed. They won't let me forget."  
"But they are dead. They are not here anymore."  
He nods, but doesn't seem convinced in the slightest. "Right."

Luxa watches him rub at his eyes and tug at his hair, and swallows down the lump in her throat. "Very well. I will let you rest. I will arrange for a special doctor to talk to you."

She walks away, a thin veil of despair falling over her shoulders. She just wanted Gregor back.


	9. Chapter 9

Josephix had seen his share of tough cases. He had seen people who had had issues with the killing they had to do (that was expected of this society though), he had helped Mareth deal with what he had deemed 'ghost pains' when he lost his leg, and had helped numerous of the staff members work through their problems after the war-when they were too scared to do almost anything. He hadn't seen anything like this before. The queen had told him he didn't believe he was himself. That Gregor thought he was the Warrior, and that he had some job he had to finish. She also told him a little bit about his past issues, but she mainly wanted _Gregor _to come back. Alright. There was a plan.

But when Josephix walked into the room and saw the boy he was supposed to help, his stomach dropped. He knew this kid had been the prophesied warrior-that he had fought the Bane and _won-_losing his bond in the process. But he looked so much younger than he had imagined, and it wasn't helping that he knew that the war had been several years before. They had really made a child fight their battles. And it was his job to pick up the pieces.

"Hello, Gregor," he starts, "My name is Josephix. I am here to help you out."  
The boy looks to him, and doesn't say anything.  
"Gregor?"  
"I'm not Gregor."

"Right, I am sorry." Josephix says, grabbing a chair and settling next to the bed. "You are the Warrior. My apologies. Do you know when Gregor may return?"  
"When it's safe."  
"Is it not safe here? Protected, in the palace?"  
His forehead crinkles, and he shakes his head. "But-he can still get hurt. I have to protect myself."  
Josephix tilts his head slightly. "Are you different people?"  
The Warrior shakes his head. "No. I'm the same. He's just-I need to protect him right now."  
"So let him come back. You can come back if you need to, yes?"  
He shakes his head again. "I'm tired. Do we have to do this?"  
Josephix sighs, before shrugging. "Very well. I will let you rest for a bit, but we will need to talk. I hope you understand."

##

He was standing in the Arena. There's a tap on his shoulder, and he turns sluggishly to see Luxa. Her hair is short again, and she smiles.  
"Pick your weapon, Overlander."  
He frowns. Weapon?

He turns, and sees a table strewn with various weapons. He sees some axes and knives, along with a few spears and other long range weapons. His eyes linger on a dagger, but something unpleasant tugs in his gut when he sees it, and he settles on the sword.

"Are you ready to fight?" Luxa asks, touching his shoulder.

He shakes his head. "Who am I fighting? I'm done fighting."  
She smiles, patting his shoulder. "Good luck, Gregor."  
She plants a kiss on his cheek, but when he goes to grab her hand, she turns to mist, and is gone. He hears footsteps, and turns to see a figure clad in black armor walking towards him. He looks familiar. He removes his helmet, and Gregor can't help but jerk back in surprise. It's him. Well, it's the Warrior.

"Hello, Gregor." he says, tipping his head to him.

"It's you."  
"It's me." He agrees. "How are you?"  
Gregor takes a second. "Tired. I'm exhausted. What is this?"  
"You're dreaming. Obviously. There's not actually _two _of us. Of you."  
Gregor shakes his head. "I know that. What's all _this, _though?"

"You have to fight me. I thought you were smarter than that."  
"I don't _want _to fight you." Gregor says. "I'm tired of fighting."  
"You won't be safe if you can't fight."  
"That...I have Luxa and Ripred."  
"They couldn't protect you the last time."  
"Fine. I want to learn to fight to defend-not to attack and harm. Is that too much to ask?"  
The Warrior shrugs. "I don't know. I only know as much as you do."  
"It's not." Gregor says quietly. "It's not."  
The Warrior drops one of the daggers in his hands, and walks closer to him. Closer. Closer.

"Maybe it's not. But you will still be a murderer."  
"I can-that man wants to help. He can help, can't he?"  
"Only if you let him. And if you try."  
"Then I will."  
The Warrior considers this for a moment, and nods. "Okay."  
He takes the other dagger and pushes it into Gregor's hand. "End it, then. One last death for someone who's supposed to be dead. You killed me once before."  
Gregor looks down to the dagger, and back to the Warrior.  
"But-you're me. You said that yourself."  
"You've already killed me. You know that you want this part of you dead."

Gregor opens his mouth to say something else, but the Warrior shakes his head.

"Do it. For all those that have died because of me."  
He nods slowly, his chest feeling tight. He turns the dagger and it pushes through the armor like water. There's no blood. The Warrior only gives him a fierce smile, and-

Gregor wakes with a start, sitting up quickly in the bed. He looks around, taking in the room once again. No one else was there. He blinks quickly, before tears start to drip down his cheeks. He wipes at them hurriedly-the ache in his chest almost painful. It's like a part of him has died, and this time it's staying dead.

#

Josephix returns later, as promised. As soon as he walks into the room, it's different. Gregor looks up to Josephix when he enters, and smiles hesitantly, looking slightly worried.

"Hello." he says.

Josephix pauses, but smiles back. "Hello."  
He pulls his chair back up and sighs. "Are you ready to talk now? Or…?"  
Gregor nods. "What exactly-what exactly does that mean? What am I going to talk about?"  
Josephix hums for a moment. "Whatever you feel comfortable talking about right now. Eventually I want you to talk about the traumatic events, so that we can try to work through those."  
Gregor nods. "To be honest-I feel kinda stupid talking about all this. Is that-is that normal?"  
Josephix nods. "For some people. I find men are more likely to feel like that. But some women as well. All depends on who you are."  
"Alright so, where do I start?"  
"Wherever you want to."

Gregor looses a sigh. "Well. Can I talk about my family?"  
"Of course."

#

Ben wasn't really sure how he got here. Sitting in a room with Luxa and Ripred with Eli by his side, along with multiple other scary looking creatures. There was a spider that kept giving him a look, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. They wouldn't eat him, right?

Eli taps his hand, and Ben startles.

_Technically_, Eli wasn't supposed to be here, but Ben dragged him along on grounds of emotional support. Ripred had given him a look, but let it slide.

"The Interfectores are still at large." Luxa says. "Ben and Ripred managed to retrieve Gregor from them, but he will take some time to heal."  
She didn't specify mental or physical, Ben notices. He wasn't sure if that was on purpose or not, but from what he knew about Luxa, it was definitely on purpose.

"We have taken down what appears to be a small group of them with possibly a branch leader, but the main leader is still out there, along with the other branches. Gnawers have still been turning up."  
"So we stomp them down." Ripred snarls.

"Why am I here, again?" Ben whispers.

Ripred and the mouse (he guessed) heard him, and the mouse sighed.

"You were present when Ripred was there. You have to confirm there wasn't excessive force used in the neutralization of the branch."

Ben thinks of the ripped off foot, flung far from its body. He swallows back his nausea, and shrugs.

"Looked pretty by the book to me." he says weakly.

The mouse nods, and turns back to let the rest of the discussion. They were starting to talk about organizing groups to hunt through the city, and he heard Luxa arguing for putting moles into branches to get more information.

"Ripred."  
Ripred looks to him; irritated. "What?"  
"Can I go?"  
Ripred waves him away with a paw, and Ben grabs Eli's hand, pulling him away from the table and the room.

As soon as they're out into the hallway, Eli grabs him by his shoulders, looking worried.  
"Are you okay?"  
Ben forces a smile, giving the best double thumbs up he could. "Yeah. Totally fine."  
Eli gives him a flat look. "Ben."  
"Yeah! I'm fine. I just-I didn't realize I would have to think about _that _again. Like, on purpose. You know? I get that they're some super war driven people or whatever, but I'm just...me."

Eli lets his arms go, and takes a step back. "You're not 'just you'. You're…" Eli sighs, and gestures at him with his hand.

"Perfect."  
"Oh, be still, my beating heart." Ben says sarcastically, all the while trying _very _hard not to blush.

Eli scoffs, rolling his eyes, but Ben notices the tips of his ears are red. Cute.

"Let's go visit Gregor. Luxa said he was doing better." Ben rushes out. "She said he was more himself."

"Yeah. She seemed kinda weird about it though. Like he wasn't himself before or something but like, _literally_."

Ben nods, leading the way to the hospital wing.

"Luxa said there was some guy that would be with him to help. I guess the equivalent to a therapist in the Overland or something."  
"That should help."

They round the corner to the hospital wing, and Ben starts to Gregor's room. He peeks in, seeing him talking to an Underlander.

"Oh!" He says, ducking back out.  
Eli gives him a curious look, and Ben shakes his head. "He's talkin' to that guy."  
Eli nods, and leans against the wall, sliding down to the floor. "Let's just wait then."  
Ben nods, sitting down next to Eli, sighing. "Do you think they're gonna be successful in taking down the Interfectores?"  
Eli shrugs. "I hope so. I mean-what they're doing? It's no better than what the gnawers did to the nibblers during the war Gregor fought in."  
Ben nods, leaning back against the wall. "Yeah. Hey-do you think-what are you gonna tell your mom when you get back?"  
Eli lets out a breath, shaking his head. "I don't know. I'll probably just tell her the truth. I mean, yeah, it's crazy, but also-it's better closure than nothing."  
Eli doesn't ask about Ben's parents-which he appreciates.

"Well," Ben starts, "I think me and Gregor should definitely be better friends after this. Whether he likes it or not, he's stuck with me now. I'm gonna become the best unofficial son Grace has ever had."  
Eli laughs, and shakes his head. "You're always welcome at the shop."  
Ben smiles, leaning against Eli's shoulder. "Yeah. You're always welcome to my house too, but I doubt you'd really want to go there."  
Footsteps don't let Eli respond, and the same Underlander who had been in the room starts when he sees them sitting on the floor.

"Oh. Hello. Are you Gregor's friends?"  
"Yeah." Eli says, standing up.

Ben follows suit, trying to peek around the door. "Can we see him? Is he alright?"

The man hesitates, looking behind him. "Yes, but do not ask him too much."  
"That's all I needed to hear." Ben says, slipping past him.

He can hear Eli apologizing and talking to the man, but he's more concerned with Gregor.

He's sitting up, and looks up to him when he hears his footsteps. Ben stops a couple feet away, his stomach twisting slightly. Gregor's eyes were red and puffy from crying, but he still manages a smile.

"Hey, Ben."  
Ben blinks rapidly, clearing his throat as he grabs the chair and sits next to his bed.

"Hey, Gregor. What's up?"  
Gregor blinks, before he laughs. It sounds slightly strained, and it doesn't last long, but, Ben thinks, at least it's real. Ben quirks a smile, not really sure what to do.

"You good there?"  
Gregor sighs, sitting back slightly. "I'm good."  
Looking down at his hands, Gregor sighs, looking troubled. "Hey, Ben. Can we-can we keep everything that's happened here just...between us? And Eli. I can't-I can't let anyone else find out what I did." He whispers.

A chill slithers down Ben's spine. "Of course, Gregor."

Of course, because just because he _looked _better, doesn't mean he actually _was _better.

Ben swallows down the lump in his throat, looking around the hospital room. "Well, I gotta say, the rooms a little barren for my tastes, but I suppose it isn't too bad."  
Gregor cracks a smile, and leans back completely into the pillows, his eyes closing. "Thanks for saving me, Ben."  
"Ah, c'mon, man! I barely did anything!"  
"But it was enough."  
Ben stares at Gregor, before shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He jumps when a hand descends on his shoulder, and he looks up to see Eli looking worriedly at Gregor.

"Hey, Gregor." Eli says, "Are you feeling okay? Josephix told me about you talked about and stuff. You sure you're up to us visiting?"  
Gregor mumbles something that might've been a yes, and he sits up slowly, his eyes droopy.

"We-we'll come back tomorrow, yeah?" Ben says, standing. "Uh-you look tired and stuff."

He rushes out, not waiting to see if Eli follows. He does, and catches up to him just outside the medical wing.  
"Are you alright?" Eli asks, grabbing his wrist.

Ben shrugs, avoiding looking at him. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just-I want Gregor to get better. That's all."

"He'll be fine. Josephix seems nice, and he's probably as well versed in his field as he can be, down here."  
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Just-I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go take a nap."  
Ben tugs away from Eli's hand, and gives him a tight smile. "See you later."

#

They should've been back by now, is what Lizzie tells herself. It has been far too long for them to be gone. But it's not exactly like she can go tell the police. What was she supposed to say? That her brother and two of his friends where lost (possibly dead, though Lizzie didn't like to think about that) in the Underland, which is an entire region underneath New York that houses giant animals alongside humans? She'd get laughed at.

So that's how Lizzie finds herself plodding through the snow to the bookstore in town; in part to talk to Eli's mom, and also to find herself a new puzzle book. Normally this was Gregor's thing, so Lizzie wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for. The big sign out front was definitely a help. The door jingled lightly as Lizzie stepped into the shop, and an older looking woman smiles at her from behind the counter.

"Hello!"  
"H-hello. Are you Eli's mom?"  
The woman's eyes widen slightly. "Yes. Have you heard from him?"  
"He...he didn't tell you were he was going?"

"He told me he had pressing business in New York, of all places. But I haven't heard from him in a while and I'm getting worried."  
"You haven't said he was missing, though?"  
"Yes, well...this happened to his sister, as well." She says, smiling wryly.

"Hazard's mom?"  
"Who's Hazard?"  
"Oh. That's...I guess your grandson."  
The woman looks stricken. "Pardon me?"  
"C-could I maybe talk to you in private?" Lizzie asks.

The woman hesitates, but nods. "Come to the back. I'll make us some hot cocoa."

~

Lizzie sips at her cocoa, watching Helen intently.

"I can't believe Sara got herself tangled up in this kind of mess." She finally says. "I have a grandson…!"

She blinks, before dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve. "Oh, good lord. I'm really falling into this grandmother role headfirst-all these tears-I'm sorry, dear."  
Lizzie smiles slightly. "Don't worry. It's alright."  
"I wish I could meet him, I'm sure he's grown up alright if he's with the people you told me about."  
Lizzie nods. "He's surrounded by people who love him."  
Helen smiles, somehow looking fond at the thought of someone she's never even met. "You're telling me all these crazy things, but someone I believe you."  
Lizzie smiles slightly. "I know how it sounds."

Helen suddenly stands up, her chair shrieking back. "Your poor mother! She must be-my god. Your brother's been gone longer than Eli, I bet she's just about lost her mind!"  
"She's doing alright. This isn't the first time someone's disappeared in my family."  
Helen gives her an incredulous look. "Did you walk here?"  
Lizzie nods, and Helen's eyes widen. "It's freezing out! Come, I'll gather some things, and we can go over, and I'll bake a casserole. Let your poor mother relax."  
"Oh. I don't-"  
"Nonsense! Gather your coat, I'll close up the shop and get the car warm. You stay here, alright, dear?"  
Lizzie finds herself nodding, watching as Helen bustles around, keys jingling, and once upstairs, cabinet doors opening and closing. She eventually comes down, arms heaped with bags.

"Alright, dear. Let's go."  
With a giggle, Lizzie smiles and takes a couple bags from Helen, helping her put them into the car, and then off they went.


	10. Chapter 10

They had been down here a _while_, Gregor thought, laying in his bed. He had finally been allowed to leave the medical wing, and was now allowed to wander the halls if he was accompanied. Normally by Ben or Eli, sometimes Luxa or Josephix. But it had to be someone okayed by _both _Luxa and Ripred, otherwise it was a no go. Not that he minded. He liked it when he could walk with Luxa, talking about mindless things-anything that _wasn't _what had happened to him. He still felt an ache in his chest, sometimes, where a part of him had gone missing. No, he thinks. Not missing. It had died. But that had been for the best.

"Hello?"  
Gregor sits up, looking to the doorway. Josephix pops his head in, smiling.

"Gregor. Glad to see you up. Are you up to walking while we talk today?"  
Gregor hesitates, before nodding. "Yeah. Sure."

"Excellent!" Josephix says. "Let us go, then."  
Grabbing a blanket and wrapping it tightly around his shoulders, Gregor follows.

~  
"We have not talked much about what happened to you, exactly." Josephix says as they go. "With the Interfectores."  
Gregor shrugs. "I mean-what's there to say?"  
Josephix hums slightly. "There is a lot to say on it. How do you feel about it? Talking about it is the first step in understanding and working to get better."

Gregor sighs slightly. "I guess."  
"We do not have to talk about it yet, if you do not want to. You have already told me about your previous quests. Though, you refused to delve deeper with your fight with the Bane."  
Looking anywhere but Josephix, Gregor mumbles something that passes as a reply.

Josephix purses his lips, and guides them around a corner to a balcony. Gregor stops in the doorway, looking out at the drop.

"You still do not like the heights."  
"I never liked them to begin with." Gregor says. "Ares-Ares made it tolerable. He was someone I could trust. How come everyone I like down here seems to end up injured or hurt?"  
Josephix considers Gregor, before nodding, like he had finally decided on something.

"You think you are the problem."  
Gregor stares at him, eyes squinted in disbelief. "What? No. I'm not the problem, like, of course I've _caused _problems but I've never...I'm not the problem."  
Josephix shakes his head, tapping his fingers against his leg. "You believe that the people around you suffer simply because they are around you. Is that why you have difficulty making friends, now? Ben and Eli both seem to want to befriend you-are you sure it is not you pushing them away?"  
Gregor scuffs his shoe against the stones, pulling his blanket tighter around himself. "That's...isn't that irrelevant to what we're supposed to be talking about?"  
Josephix levels an amused expression at Gregor. "Then what _are _we supposed to be talking about?"  
"I don't know. About what I did."  
"And what exactly did you do?"  
Gregor shifts uncomfortably-pausing. "I-I killed all those people. All the gnawers."  
Josephix nods, staying quiet.

"And it's my fault that I got taken in the first place. If I hadn't been so-I don't know. _Stupid_. I had been trying to find Phobos. I had wanted to ask him…" Gregor trails off, his face feeling hot. "I had wanted to ask him what he would think about becoming my bond." he finishes bitterly.

_Oh_, Josephix thinks.

Gregor looks to him, looking slightly desperate. "That's...that's the problem, isn't it? It's my fault that all _this _happened, and my fault that everything else happened."  
"How could it be your fault that a prophecy from hundreds of years ago was coming to pass? You did not write the prophecies. It is not your fault."  
Gregor only shakes his head. "I just...I don't want to talk about this anymore."  
"That is okay. We can talk about something else."  
"Like what? I feel like I've told you everything already."  
"Anything you want. I'm sure there's some things we have not talked about. We can talk more about Phobos, if you wish. Why you wish to establish a bond with him."  
Shaking his head quickly, Gregor leans up against the wall. "Just. You know. He made me feel safe again. Like flying was something that didn't need to be scary anymore."  
Josephix watches as Gregor swipes at his eyes quickly, looking anywhere but him. Josephix doesn't say anything.

"If it is scary, why make yourself do it?"  
"Because that's how it's done here."  
"There are plenty of people here who fear things that are normal. Fighting. The dark. Your fear is one that I am sure is shared with someone here."

"I don't know." Gregor says. "It was something that was fine at first. Like, I just didn't _like _heights, but it was bearable if I knew I wasn't going to fall. And then Ares…" Gregor clears his throat. "Ares died, and there was no one to catch me."  
"But you feel that Phobos could do it."  
"Phobos…" Gregor trails off, shrugging. "When...when I was laying there with Ares-when he was dying. I wanted to follow him. He made me feel brave. Like with him I could do anything. But I couldn't do anything. Because he died. Shouldn't it have been me that died?"  
Josephix narrows his eyes. "Gregor."  
"I know. I'm not...I'm not gonna die, or anything. Just like…" Gregor sighs in frustration. "I don't know."  
"That is okay. How are things going with Ben and Eli and everyone else?"  
"Fine, I guess. Ben and Eli seem to have their own thing going on."

Josephix thinks back to them in the hallway, leaned up against each other like supports. "They do seem to be doing fine." Josephix pauses. "How are things with the queen?"  
Josephix isn't sure what reaction he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't Gregor sinking to the floor with a heaving sigh.

"Gregor?"  
"It's the same as it's been, I guess. I'm not gonna dump all that teen crap on you-"  
"That is essentially my job right now, Gregor." Josephix says with a smile.

Gregor gives him a look, before shaking his head. "Nothing has really changed between us since we were twelve. I don't really see how it would change now. She's gotta find some Underland dude who can be king or whatever and I…" Gregor furrows his brow, mashing his lips together. "And I'm just that guy she kinda liked when she was a kid."  
Josephix lets out a slow breath. "Have you talked to her, though? Gregor, you will not get any answers as long as you keep it all inside."  
"I'm not gonna humiliate myself."  
"She cares for you more than you believe, I think."  
Gregor glares up at him, but there's no heat behind it. "Oh yeah? And how do you know that?"  
Josephix thinks back to when Luxa had breezed into his office, shoulders tense. How she had snapped at him that he would be assisting Gregor in recovery; her eyes red and glassy.

"...I just have a feeling."

Gregor pulls his legs to his chest, resting his cheek on his knee. "Yeah. Sure. You adults seem sure to know everything that's good for me."  
Josephix raises an eyebrow, finally moving over to sit next to Gregor. "Oh? Who else seems to know everything?"  
Gregor sends a withering stare his way. "My mom."  
"That is just how mothers are, Gregor."  
"But she's just...so up in my business. Like, she wanted to take me to some therapist in the city, you know? And. Oh my god, no. I would literally rather do anything than go see someone who would think I was crazy. Or high. I don't know. But there's no _way _they would ever believe me! Unless I showed them the scars, and, I _really _don't want to do that."  
"That is a valid point. They are something personal to you, and showing them just to be believed is not something that should need to be done."  
"Exactly. But it's not like my mom gets that. I'd probably end up talking in some ridiculous metaphor that neither of us understand, and it wouldn't be helpful at all." Gregor takes a breath. "So you're...you're better."

Josephix laughs, leaning back against the wall. "Gregor, I am glad that you feel that you do not need to speak in a metaphor to talk to me."  
They fall into a lull, the silence comfortable.

"Hey, Josephix." Gregor starts, "What all do you know about the Interfectores?"  
Josephix gives him a curious look. "Why do you ask?"  
"Just wondering."  
Josephix sighs, looking out to the city. "I know they are sick people, who desperately need help. And that they hurt you in ways no one should have to hurt."  
They lapse into silence again.

"Thank you." Gregor finally says.

#

Finding Ripred was turning into more of a chore then Gregor had hoped. All he had wanted to do was talk to him a little bit, and carry on. Instead, he had been hunting around the palace with Eli in tow for what felt like an hour.

"Why is it so hard to find one giant rat in this stupid palace?"  
Eli sighs, running a hand through his hair. "What if we just _asked _someone where he was?"

Gregor glances back to him, looking slightly pained. "I would literally rather search for another day than do that."  
"Oh my god."  
They round a corner, and Gregor spots Hazard down the hall.

"Hazard!"  
Hazard looks up at the sound of his name, and smiles, running towards them. "Gregor! Eli! How are you?"  
Eli smiles, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Fine, how are you?"  
"I am good! Oizys and I were talking about going on a trip down the Waterway later this week!"  
Gregor blinks. "Who's that?"  
Hazard smiles. "Oizys is my bond. She is great."

"Oh. That's nice. I'm glad you found a flier, then."  
"Yes! Anyway, what are you guys doing?"  
"We're looking for Ripred," Eli says. "Any idea where he is?"  
"Oh! I saw him with Ben earlier. I don't know if they're still together, though. They were talking about something-Ripred did not seem happy…"

Great.

"Where were they?"  
"Oh. One of the northeastern balconies, I think."  
Gregor gives Hazard a smile. "Thanks. Eli, let's go."

"Oh. Uh, yeah."

Eli gives Hazard a quick wave, before him and Gregor set off.

"I feel like we already checked all the balconies." Gregor grumbles. "But then again, there's a million of them here."  
Eli nods. "Yeah. There's a lot of them, definitely."

Gregor sighs, stopping to slump against a wall. "I wish I could just like. Give him a little backpack with a tracker in it. Then we wouldn't have to actually _look _for him."

Eli laughs, rolling his eyes. "Ripred would never let that happen. He'd tear your arm off before you could put a backpack on him."

"Yes, but." Gregor says, "But, it would be funny."

"You're right, but regardless. Let's go."  
Gregor grumbles, but continues on with Eli.

They eventually find him. Which is good, because Eli was worried Gregor was about to completely lose it.

"I'm getting a backpack." Gregor says, spotting Ripred on the balcony. "It's gonna be bright pink and have rainbows and unicorns all over it. I will superglue it to his back if I have to."  
"Ripred!" Eli calls.

Ripred turns, watching as they approach. "What is it?"  
Eli shrugs. "Gregor needed to talk to you. I was just his...hallway buddy."  
Gregor gives him a dirty look. "We're not preschoolers."  
Eli quirks a smile, laughing. "Whatever, man. I'll wait in the hallway, yeah?"

He gives a wave before walking back into the hallway.

Gregor turns to Ripred, and Ripred flicks his tail slightly.

"What?"  
"I'll be going back soon." Gregor says. "I…"  
Ripred sits back on his haunches, scratching at his ear. "You…?"  
"I won't be able to come back."

The words taste bitter on his tongue, but he knows they're true. That once he leaves, that will be it, so he needs to make this time count.

Ripred pauses, giving Gregor a look.

"Why won't you be able to come back?"  
Gregor lets out a breath, running his hand through his hair. "Because. I just...I think that if I leave and come back, I won't be able to leave again. And I can't put my family through that."

"What about the people down here? You'll put them through that?"  
Gregor hesitates. "I...I can't have both of them."

"Can't you? You could bring your family down here."  
"But…"

Gregor glances out towards the city, something like guilt curling in his gut. He thinks of Boots-and how she still has a lot to learn. How she could go on and forget the Underland, and the horror that came with that. But he thinks of Lizzie, and how she's like him-stuck in that weird space where they could never forget. He thinks how he's really the only one who _fits _down here, whereas everyone else could thrive in the Overland. He thinks of Luxa-he doesn't _want _to think about Luxa-who can't leave the Underland.

"I can't." Gregor says. "It wouldn't be fair to everyone. And I can't leave them."  
Ripred nods.

"I just...how am I supposed to manage _everything_?" Gregor asks, leaning against the wall. "I just...it's all so hard, _all _the time. I don't know what I'm supposed to do once I leave."  
Ripred shuffles slightly, tilting his head; considering. "Take what you've learned from Josephix, and keep going with it. Tell him to write down tips and whatnot. Write it in your journal, and keep going with it. Just manage."

"Really?" Gregor asks, smiling slightly. "Not even a 'be okay' or a 'get better'?"

Ripred gives him a flat stare. "Of course not. With you, manage first, and then work towards better. There's no reason to try and leap to better when you can't even handle yourself."  
"I guess."

Ripred scoffs. "You _guess_. You need to start taking action, pup. Are you just going to sit idly by in your own life? You want to get better _obviously _but don't be passive about it. It's your life that you're trying to take back."

Gregor knew he was right, but he didn't exactly want to admit that. So he settles for silence, crossing his arms tightly across his chest.

Ripred grumbles something Gregor doesn't catch, and gives him a little smack on the shoulder before he walks into the hallway. Gregor watches him go, his tail disappearing around the corner with a flick. Eli pops his head around the corner, raising his eyebrows at Gregor.

"All good?"  
He thinks about Luxa and his family and how everything is going to change. How there's people he still needs to talk to-things he has to say.

"All good."


	11. Chapter 11

Ripred pads through the hallways, looking for Ben. They needed to talk, even though Ripred was sure that Ben wouldn't want to. It seemed that Gregor attracted stubborn friends, which was good-because Gregor sure seemed to try and push them away as best he could. It seemed like with these he hadn't succeeded, which relieved Ripred (not that he would ever admit that).

Ripred could hear laughter and smell food coming from one of the dining rooms, and he pokes his head in, startling the four pups sitting around the table. Gregor gives him a suspicious look, which he ignores completely in favor of giving his attention to Ben.

"Ben. I need to speak with you."  
Ben glances to the others, looking slightly worried. Ripred watches as Eli grabs Ben's hand for a second, before letting go as Ben stands.

"What's it about?" Ben asks.

Ripred glances at the others, fighting a surge of irritation. "Just hurry up."

Backing out, Ripred stands in the corridor, waiting for him to come out.

"What do you want?" Ben asks, stepping from the room.

"Walk with me." Ripred orders.

Ben looks miffed, but nods. "Okay."

They start down the hallway, Ripred's nails clicking against the stone; a sharp contrast to the soft scuffs of Ben's shoes.

"What did you want to talk about?" Ben asks.

Ripred sighs, and swishes his tail. "I wanted to apologize to you."

Ben halts, staring at him like he was crazy. "You want to apologize to _me_?"

Ripred can't help but snarl at him. It's not like he _liked _apologizing. "Yes. So shut up and listen."

Ben side-eyes Ripred, scooting away slightly.  
"I wanted to apologize for the tunnels, and when we rescued Gregor. I know that that was difficult. You are not nearly as resilient as Gregor. Mentally or physically."  
Ben stares at Ripred, slightly appalled. "_Thanks_."  
Ripred clicks his teeth slightly, growing irritated. "I simply mean that for what you saw, I wish to apologize. Because it was something that you did not need to see, and because of my inability to protect you, it has likely been something that has been weighing on you."  
"Ripred...that's. Thank you." Ben says.

He doesn't mention that Ripred mentioning it brings it all back up, because he was pretty sure Ripred would bite his head off. Better not to enrage him.

Ripred sniffs slightly, his tail curling slightly at the end. "Of course. I know when I'm at fault. I can admit my failings.

Ben bites the inside of his cheek. "I know. Is that all?"  
Ripred glances to him. "That's it. Be safe once you return to the Overland." he says gruffly.

Ben nods, before hesitating. "Ripred, don't like, take this weird or anything, but I think you would've made a good dad."

Ripred blinks, before pushing Ben back towards the dining room. "Just go eat."

Ben smiles, giving Ripred a small wave. "Goodnight, Ripred."

Ripred watches him go, before padding towards the guards station. Mac is standing behind their desk, studying a map of Regalia. They look up when Ripred enters, and a brief smile flits across their features.

"Ripred. I think we have got them. Or at least the head of it all. We have been looking at the meeting places-the constants within that from the intel, and have narrowed down the leader to who we believe is behind it all."

Ripred pads closer, looking to where Mac has their finger jammed against the map. Right on the palace.

"It's someone here, you think?" Ripred asks.  
"We believe it is Trexon. He has been at all the meetings. Apparently at first our moles thought he was a mole as well, but he is not. He uses other members to talk, but he is behind most of it, it seems. If we get rid of him, then we can easily rip apart the rest of the Interfectores."

Ripred bares a smile, flattening his ears against his head. "Then where is he?"

"We are searching for him. It appears that he has fled the castle as of now. But there are limited places for him to go."

"I'll let the relevant people know. Does the queen know?"  
"Not yet. We were going to present the information at the meeting tomorrow."  
"I'll tell her tonight."  
Mac nods. "Very well. I bid you good luck, then."

Ripred nods, turning and leaving the room.

"Gregor." Luxa calls across the air, "Can we touch down? I need to talk to you about something important."  
"Uh...Yeah?"  
Phobos and Aurora find the nearest touchdown point, and Gregor and Luxa slip off their fliers backs. Luxa sits on the edge of the ledge, and motions for Gregor to join her. He does so carefully, still wary of the drop-even if he knew that Phobos would be there to catch him.

"Firstly," she says, "I need to return this to you."

She reaches to her belt, and pulls a sheathed dagger from it, handing the knife to Gregor.  
"A dagger? Why?"  
"It is the one that you had when Ripred saved you. It is okay to give it back now, I believe."

Gregor stares at the knife in his hands, and then back to Luxa.

"Have you been holding onto this this entire time?"  
"Yes. I did not...I did not want to give it to you sooner lest it dreg up unpleasant memories for you again."

He swallows back the lump in his throat, but nods slightly. "Thanks."  
"As well as...Gregor. You have said that you will be leaving. Soon. Is...is there nothing I can do to sway you to stay?"

Gregor turns his gaze out into the darkness, a weight settling across his shoulders. "I can't. I...There's too much in the Overland I need to do. There's people I need to be there for. I wish that I could stay with you, though."

Luxa is quiet, but her hand moves to rest on his shoulder.

For some reason, it makes Gregor want to cry.

"I wish I could stay. I want to stay with you." he whispers. "Where I don't have to worry about...about too many things. But…"  
"I understand, Gregor."

He looks to her, and can just make out her face. Her mouth is set, but her eyes look sad.

"I love you." Gregor says.

The words sit heavy between them, and for a second, Gregor thinks Luxa is going to leave it at that.

"I love you, too."

Gregor bites his lip to keep it from trembling, and squeezes his eyes shut.  
"So what are we supposed to do?" he manages.

Luxa sighs softly; her hand dropping from his shoulder. "We move forwards. I will...I will be expected to marry soon. Within the next few years, I imagine."

There's a sudden ache in his chest, and he wipes at his eyes. "Oh."  
"I wish you would stay. I wish it were you. But I understand. You have obligations to your family. I do not think your mother would think of me fondly if I stole her son away."

Gregor looks to her, and finds her smiling slightly.

"If I had a choice, I would stay." he says.

"I know." Luxa says. "I have done what I can do give you light. I just hope that it was enough."

Gregor finds her hand, and holds on tight. "It's always been enough."

##

Luxa strides into the dining room, her eyes finding Gregor immediately.  
"Ripred has informed me that we have discovered who the supposed head of the Interfectores is."

Gregor blinks. "Who?"

"The man named Trexon."

Gregor's face drains of feeling, and his stomach plummets. "You can't be serious."  
"Yes. Ripred has said that Mac will be leading the hunt for him. They will capture him, and he will be executed."  
Gregor can't muster up any sympathy for him. "Will they find him quickly, do you think?"  
"We have established a citywide announcement that anyone who can aid in the finding of him will be compensated greatly for their troubles."

He can't help his laugh. "So you've enlisted the city as well."  
"Of course. This is a threat to all of us-if they continue to damage our reputation with the gnawers, it could have lasting consequences."  
Gregor nods. "Fair enough."  
"I will be joining them as well."

At this, Gregor straightens with indignation. "What? No!"  
Luxa gives him an amused look. "Gregor, it is my duty to protect this city and the people. Of course I will be partaking in the hunt."  
"But won't it be dangerous?"  
Luxa laughs, shaking her head. She sits down across from Gregor, pulling a plate towards herself. "No more dangerous than any of the quests we went on."

"But. But…."  
Luxa shakes her head. "Do not worry, Gregor. I will be safe."

"You have to be safe. For...us."

Luxa raises an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading.  
Gregor flushes, not sure why he was so embarrassed. "I _mean _us. Like, Hazard and everyone else here in the palace. Us."

Luxa laughs, and Gregor slumps in his seat.

"Where is 'us', anyway?" Luxa asks, eyes sparkling. "Should they not be with you?"  
"Ben and Eli had to talk about something, so they left for a bit. They've been getting along well, which is good, I guess. I was kinda worried they wouldn't like each other."

Luxa gives him a weird look.  
"...What?" he asks.

She blinks, but shakes her head. "Nothing. You have grown closer with them, yes?"  
"...Yeah. I think we're friends now. I don't want to ask because I feel like Ben would make fun of me."  
"I do not believe that he would make fun of you, Gregor. They both seem to care for you an incredible amount."  
"Yeah. I guess so. Wouldn't they have run screaming by now if they didn't?"  
"Perhaps." Luxa says, helping herself to the fish. "I was speaking with Aurora earlier," she starts.

"Oh, yeah?"

"She mentioned that Phobos has been wishing to talk to you."  
"Oh. Yeah. I've been meaning to talk to him too. But that's besides the point right now. When are you going to search?"  
"In an hours time." She says, eating quickly. "I still must prepare, but I wished to tell you before we left."

"I should come with you." Gregor says, pushing his plate away. "I can help."  
"No. You need to stay with Josephix. Work on getting things settled."  
"But I would be helpful!"  
"Gregor!" Luxa snaps. "I said no!"

Gregor jolts back, clenching his jaw. "I'm not useless." he grinds out.

Luxa glares at him. "I never said you were. But I am more concerned with you being better than you helping in finding Trexon. Have you forgotten what he did to you?"  
"No!" Gregor snaps. "I haven't forgotten, and I never will!"

"Then you should understand why I do not want to risk having you run into him!"

Luxa's face is red and angry, with Gregor's being much the same. They sit in fuming silence until they finish eating, and Luxa is the first to stand.  
"I must go now. I will bring you news as soon as there is news to be had."  
"Fine."  
"Goodbye for now, Gregor."  
"Bye, Luxa."

She walks from the room without a backwards glance, leaving Gregor alone in the room.

Seconds after she left, Eli and Ben come back, collapsing onto their respective pillows.

"What'd you do to piss her off this time?" Ben asks.

Eli smacks him from across the table, and Ben yelps, glaring at Eli.

"Don't be mean, Ben. Did something happen, Gregor?"  
"Luxa says that they found out who the leader of the Interfectores are. And they're hunting him down tonight. Now."

Ben glances from Eli to Gregor. "Well...don't be dramatic. Who is it?"  
"Trexon."

Eli pales slightly. "_Trexon_?"

"Yeah." Gregor says. "Trexon."

"Well, do they think they'll get him?" Ben asks.

"I don't know. Luxa seems pretty confident about it all. But I guess we'll have to see."

"Gregor," Eli says, glancing to Ben. "When do you plan on going back? To the Overland, I mean. You...you do plan on going back, right?"  
Gregor stares at the tabletop. "Of course I do."

Eli doesn't seem terribly convinced, but let's the topic slide.

"Oh, right!" He says, "Look at what I got."

He scoots over next to Gregor, ignoring Gregor's protest about his personal space. Eli pulls his phone from his pocket, and taps around for a second, before shoving it in Gregor's face. Gregor squints and pushes it back slightly, seeing a picture of Hazard on the display.

"It's Hazard."

"I know! I showed him pictures of everyone. Of my mom, and Sara. He was happiest to see the ones of Sara, I think. But I told him I would take pictures of him and bring them back to my mom to show her!"

Gregor takes the phone, and swipes through a bit, seeing different silly poses by Hazard and Eli. There's one where it's the two of them standing at the far end of a room, and Gregor tries to think of how Eli described all the technology to him.

Gregor startles suddenly, a thought occurring to him. "Wait. How'd you keep this thing charged up down here? There's not exactly electricity."  
"Oh, yeah." Eli says, taking the phone back and scooting away. "I brought like. Five or six portable chargers. And I just kept the phone off most the time. Except to take pictures."

"That's…"  
"Genius?" Eli suggests.

"I was going to say ridiculously overprepared. But sure, I guess genius works."  
"Yeah. I know it, too. I got voice recordings of Hazard and stuff and plenty of pictures and videos and junk. I'm gonna show it all to my mom, so she can meet him, in a way."  
"That's great, Eli."  
He grins, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "I've taken way too many pictures, I think. But it'll be worth it. I mean, the Underland is an incredible place."  
An incredible place that I'm leaving behind, Gregor thinks bitterly.

"It is." Gregor says. "Hey. I need to uh, I need to find Josephix. I need to do my check in with him."  
"I'll come with you!" Ben says, hopping up. "I saw him pass us in the hallway."  
"Ok, let's go."

They find Josephix in his office, staring at something on the desktop.

"Josephix?"

He looks up, smiling when he sees them. "Gregor! Ben! How are you? I'm glad you're here, I was about to come looking for you!"  
Gregor smiles awkwardly. "Well. I'm here."  
"Hey, good luck, man." Ben says, giving Gregor a clap on his shoulder. Gregor watches him leave, before turning his attention back to Josephix.

"I'm leaving soon." Gregor says.

Josephix sighs, but nods. "I know. I do not like it, but you are one to be stubborn once you have made up your mind."

Gregor shrugs, looking around the room. There wasn't much in it, aside from a couple things hanging from the walls, and a few torches.

"Let us walk," Josephix says.

"Yeah. I need to get my notebook, too. There's things I need to write down."

"What?"  
"What you're going to tell me to write down."  
"About what, exactly?" Josephix asks as they start to walk.

"About how to stay better. In the Overland."  
Josephix is quiet for a beat. "I see. Very well, then. I will write it down for you. Is this the same notebook you have talked about before?"  
Gregor shrugs, walking a bit faster. "Maybe. I doubt you'd be able to understand it, though."  
"Because it is written in the Code of Claw, yes?"  
"Yeah."  
"We never talked about it-why do you think you wrote it in code?"  
Gregor gives him a confused look. "What? Obviously because I didn't want others to read it."  
"Is that all?" Josephix asks.

"What other reason would there be?" Gregor asks, stepping into his room. He grabs his backpack, and rummages through it to find his pen and notebook. Tossing the bag back down on the bed, he joins Josephix back in the hallway.

Josephix sighs. "Maybe you wrote it like that in order to cement a tie to the Underland."  
Gregor shakes his head. "Have you _seen _me? I think I have too many _permanent _ties to the Underland."

"But those are not ties that you chose, right? Making a conscious decision to write in the code let you _choose _to acknowledge the Underland. Your scars and dreams are not things you chose to have."  
Gregor makes a sound of acknowledgement, shrugging. "Whatever."  
Josephix looks at him for a moment longer, before sighing. "Very well. I will write down some points for you to remember. I wish that you would stay longer so we could work more. I still do not feel comfortable with you going out there to deal with it all alone."  
"I won't be alone. I've got...I've got Ben. And Eli. And my family."  
"That is good; that you have a support network already figured out. But I mean that it is not always easy to talk about these things to them. You may not want to talk about them-and your friends and family may not be in the right headspace to help you. Then you would only cause them more worry."  
"That doesn't sound like something you should be saying to me," Gregor says with a laugh.

Josephix shakes his head. "You are my main priority, yes. But the other people in your life are important too. They are an extension of you in a way, and making them worry excessively will do no good to anyone in the situation."  
"I guess you're right. Can we talk about something else? I don't want to talk about the notebook or anything anymore."  
"Of course. How have your dreams been?"

Gregor hesitates. "Fine."  
"Are they fine or are you just telling me that?"  
"I mean, they're the same. Just, you know, different topics. Got a lot of new material with my stay here. Gotta find some way to use it."  
Josephix doesn't laugh. "Have they made sleep difficult?"  
Gregor shrugs. He turns onto a balcony, sitting crisscross in the center of the platform. Josephix sits next to him a moment later. Gregor hands him the pen and notebook, and Josephix opens it to a new page. He only has to show Josephix how to open the pen before he starts to write.

"Of course, they have." Gregor says. "They make nights the worst time. I'm glad I can still use echolocation."  
"And why is that?"  
"Because they kept me in a pitch black cell. Or whatever the hell it was. Just because I can use echolocation doesn't mean that I don't need the light," Gregor takes a deep breath, "I...I don't like the dark so much anymore. Which is stupid, isn't it?"

"Of course not. You have had a horrible experience within the dark, if you did not dislike it a little bit, I think I would be more worried."  
"It's just. I don't like waking up and everything is dark. I keep thinking I'm back there. And it's…" Gregor closes his eyes, letting out a shaky breath, "Suffocating."

##

That night Gregor lays in bed, waiting for sleep. He rolls onto his side, thinking about what Ben had said earlier in the hallway.

"_Gregor, I know you don't plant on coming back here and all, but…" _

_Ben scuffs his shoe nervously against the stone, biting the inside of his cheek.  
_"_Me and Eli have been talking, and we think we would come visit. I want to see Orbona again and talk to her and Luxa and Ripred and everyone else again. Eli wants to be able to be there for Hazard-he was talking about even bringing his mom sometime if Luxa would allow it. And I just-I understand why you can't come back again. But I want you to know that if you want to stay in contact with them, we can bring letters or something."  
Ben sighs, scratching at his head. _

"_It's selfish of me. I want you to be able to keep the relationships you have. I don't want you to throw it all away."  
_"_I'm not throwing it all away. I had to make a decision. And this was the end result in that."_

"_But are you sure it's the best? I mean-Luxa-"  
Gregor gives Ben a heartbreakingly sad smile. "Luxa and I have already talked about it. We know it won't end well. We're both too tied up in our respective lands to want to give ground on it."  
_"_But-"  
_"_Ben. Thank you, but I've already made up my mind. I have to go."  
They're about to turn into Josephix's office. _

"_Then-at least _consider _the letters and stuff."  
Gregor opens his mouth to give a negative response, but Ben shakes his head. _

"_Don't answer me now. Answer me when we've left, and you've really thought about it."  
_Now, he sighs, and shoves his face into his pillow. It would all work out. It had to. He was getting better, and now he had it in writing what to do to improve. He would beat this. He had to.

##

"Phobos!" Gregor calls over the wind, "Where are we going?"  
"I need to show you someplace, Gregor!"

Gregor huffs a laugh, laying down on his back, hugging him as best he could. He can hear the wind rushing in his ears, until it gradually starts to quiet. He looks up from Phobos' back, and blinks. They were on an outcropping that overlooked the Waterway, but covering the rock was a kind of moss that was glowing slightly.

Gregor turns to Phobos. "What is this?"  
Phobos shakes his head. "I honestly do not know. I stumbled across it by chance. I believe the humans have not found it because they often use torches, and us fliers rely on our echolocation. We do not look for these things."  
"It's incredible."  
"I thought you might like it."  
Gregor brushes his hand against the moss, surprised at how soft it was, even here.

"Phobos. I...Can I ask you something?"  
"Of course, Gregor."

Phobos flutters around, and it takes Gregor a moment to realize that he put himself between Gregor and the drop.

"I don't exactly expect an answer, and I know that I'm leaving, and that it's selfish of me to even bring this up, but...You said once that people could have more than one bond in their life. And I…"

Gregor swallows hard, staring hard at the moss on the wall.

The silence is _crushing_. The water rushes on down below; the sound filling Gregor's ears to an almost unbearable point.

"Gregor, I cannot…"  
Gregor forces a laugh, but it sounds strained even to his own ears. "I know. I said it was selfish, didn't I?"  
"If you were not leaving…"

Gregor turns to Phobos, who looks upset.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just. Would you have said yes?"  
Phobos hesitates, before nodding. "Yes. I would have been honored to have you as my bond, Gregor."

Gregor smiles, even as he feels tears well up. "I'm sorry I can't stay."  
"I understand why you have to leave."

He sniffles, wiping at his face. "Even if we're not bonds, I hope you know that everything in the promise stands from me to you."  
"And I to you."  
"Can I hug you?"  
"Of course."  
Gregor steps forward, and hugs him as best he can, misery twisting around his heart. "I'm sorry, Phobos. I'm sorry."

He feels wings wrap around him, and he tries not to cry harder. He wasn't very successful.

"I am sorry, Gregor. I wish that it could have all gone differently."

"But it didn't." Gregor chokes out.

##

As soon as they return to the palace, Gregor and Eli search for Luxa. They eventually find her in her study, and she looks up as they enter. When she sees Gregor she stands, and hurries over to him.

"Gregor? What is wrong?"  
He shakes his head, his heart heavy.

"I talked to Phobos."  
"Oh." She says. "Gregor…"  
"It's fine, you know? I knew what the answer would be. It just. You know."  
Luxa nods, grabbing his hand and leading him to a cushion. She gives him a little shove to get him to sit, and gives a curt nod to Eli. Eli takes it as his dismissal, and speeds out, probably going to find Ben.

"Guess what I found in the museum," Luxa says, after giving Gregor a look.

She grabs a small box from behind the table, and sets it in front of Gregor. He stares at it blankly, before turning to Luxa.  
"It's a box."  
She rolls her eyes. "Look inside."  
He opens it carefully, before a smile splits his face. It was a camera. More specifically-a polaroid. Just like they had played around with all those years ago. Gregor laughs, and takes it out of the box, checking the film. There was an entire roll.

Gregor sets the camera down, before reaching into his pocket, and pulling his picture out. He unfolds it, smoothing it down against the table. Luxa's face softens when she sees it.  
"You kept it."  
"Of course I kept it. It was my one picture of you."

Gregor picks the camera up again, running his finger over the ridge of the button.  
"Did you guys find Trexon?"  
Luxa is silent, and Gregor looks up to her.  
"Luxa?"  
She shifts slightly, shrugging. "We found him."

Something wasn't right.

"Luxa? What happened? Everyone...everyone was okay, right?"

She purses her lips, looking away from him. "It's getting late."  
"Luxa." Gregor insists.

She glances back to him, and then away again.

"We found him."  
"And?"  
"He was...in the tunnels. He...there were gnawers, with him. He said it was his last act of cleansing."  
Gregor feels cold roll through him, and his mouth goes dry.

"What did he do."

"He-along with what he said were others-went into the gnawers lands and I suppose they convinced them there was a fest to be held in Regalia. They followed them into the tunnels."

Gregor didn't want to hear the rest of this. But he needed to, didn't he?  
"They killed entire families. We found the bodies littered for miles in the tunnels. I am sorry, Gregor."  
He couldn't think. There was a ringing in his head, and everything felt wrong.  
"He's here, isn't he?"  
"Yes, but Gregor-"  
"I do not think that would be wise-"  
"Luxa!"

She clenches her jaw, but gives a quick nod. "Very well. Ripred is currently there."  
They move quickly through the halls, moving lower and lower in the palace, until there's almost a slight chill in the air. Gregor spots Ripred standing by one of the doors, and he runs ahead.  
"Ripred!"  
Ripred whirls, squinting when he sees Gregor. "What the _fuck _are you doing here?" He looks past him to Luxa, and he snaps his teeth in irritation.

"Let me see him." Gregor demands.

Ripred shakes his head. "No. Luxa, why are you here?"  
"I am only delivering him. He wished to visit. I will come back in a time."  
"Right. Great. So now I'm on babysitting duty. Will you-" Ripred glares at Gregor, who had been trying to weasel past him, and smacks him hard with his tail. "Stop it!"

Gregor glares at him, cracking his knuckles absentmindedly while he tries to think of how to get past.

"Gregor, will you be alright?" Luxa asks.  
"Yeah. You can go."  
She hesitates, but nods, her footsteps fading as she goes. As soon as Gregor can't hear them anymore, he shoves Ripred, glaring. Ripred only looks annoyed, whacking him with his tail again.  
"Stop it, Ripred! Let me see him. Do you know what he did?" he spits, "He killed _families_! He's a cold blooded murderer!"  
"Calm down!" Ripred snarls, getting up in his face. "What do you think you can do about it now? Bring them back? You are no _god, _Gregor. You are a child with the expectations of an adult thrust upon him, and you try _desperately _to fulfill those expectations. This time there's nothing for you to fulfill."  
Gregor grits his teeth, and pushes Ripred's face away. "Fuck you!"

Ripred scoffs. "How eloquent."  
"You don't know what they did! What they do!"

"Don't I, pup? What awful thing did they do that I cannot imagine or haven't already seen?"  
Gregor screws his mouth up, and scrabbles to push past again. Ripred grabs his shoulder, claws digging in painfully, and he shoves him back. And then he lays down across Gregor's chest, sighing. Gregor groans, shoving at him desperately.  
"Will you calm down? Or will I need to sit here until you suffocate."

"Get-off!"

"I guess it's option number two."  
"You overgrown rat-! Get off of me you asshole!"  
"That doesn't sound like 'Yes, Mister Ripred. I'll calm down and stop looking like I'm about to rip Trexon's throat out' to me."

"Get off!" Gregor wheezes.

"Your lung capacity amazes me." Ripred says.

"Fine! I'll calm down! Get off!"

Ripred sighs, but slowly clambers up. Gregor gasps, rolling to his side and taking a deep breath.

"So glad you managed to see reason. Your bony little knees were painful."  
"You're terrible." Gregor mumbles, getting to his feet. "Let me see him."  
Ripred eyes him up and down, before nodding to his belt. "Take that off first."  
Gregor glances down-having almost forgotten about the dagger. "No."  
"No?" Ripred asks, staring at him. "Why no?"  
"Because."

"Fine." Ripred sighs, moving from the doorway. Gregor goes in, his hand migrating to the daggers hilt. He draws it, holding it tightly. He's not sure why he felt he needed it, but it was better than nothing. He stops in the middle of the room, staring at Trexon. His face was bruised and bloody, and he had what looked like sword or knife cuts on his arms and legs. Turning his attention to the knife, Gregor stares at the dagger in his hand. The same one that Trexon gave him that day to kill the gnawer-the one Luxa had returned to him. He glances back to Ripred who's now standing in the doorway, and his chest suddenly feels filled with molten fire. He had done too much to ever deserve what he would get.

"Ripred. He's going to die anyway, isn't he?" Gregor asks, completely calm for once.  
Ripred gazes impassively at Gregor. "He is."

Gregor can't help the slight smile. "It's my turn for once. Isn't it? Not the Warrior. Not the Rager side of me. Me. Gregor's turn."

Ripred's tail flicking is the only movement from him. The silence is punctuated only by groans from Trexon as he starts to wake up, the beating from the guards and his injuries finally starting to register with him.

"It is." Ripred finally says, turning, and the curtain fluttering shut behind him.

The torchlight wavers slightly in the wind, and Gregor tightens his grip on the dagger. He tightens his grip on the dagger that killed seemingly countless gnawers; the grip stained with dried blood that's unerasable.

Gregor turns to Trexon, who's now mostly woken up.

"W-Warrior…" he murmurs. "Have you come to save me?"  
The fire coats his throat and burns it's way through his body. He moves towards Trexon, kneeling down next to him. The chains on Trexon's wrists jingle slightly.

He smiles at him. "You have come to free me."

Gregor's not sure what happens between that moment and this one, but the knife is suddenly buried hilt deep in Trexon's thigh, and all Gregor can hear is his short scream.

Gregor leans in slightly, twisting the knife.

"I will never. _Never _be on your side." He snarls. "You took me and used me like a _weapon_."

"Please, Warrior-I-I am sorry. I…"

Gregor yanks the dagger out, blood dripping down the blade. He presses down hard on the wound, hot blood coating his hand.

"You forced me to kill pups. _Pups_."

The same boiling rage and the knife is in his leg again.

"You made me kill children! I'm a kid, you know! I already _had _time taken by this place!"

He twists the knife, pushing it deeper into his leg. There's a sudden resistance, and it registers in Gregor's brain that he's just hit the bone.

"Aren't you going to say that you're sorry?" He hisses. "You took my time away from the people here and made me a murderer."

"P-please, I am sorry." Trexon sobs. "I am sorry."  
Gregor can't help his incredulous laugh. "No you're not! You're not _sorry, _Trexon. Sorry would be never having kidnapped me in the first place."  
He grinds the dagger deeper.

"Sorry would be never having made me kill children. It would've been letting me out of that fucking cell _once _before you had control over me. You have never-_ever-_been sorry."

"Overlander I cannot feel my leg-ple-" Trexon wails as the dagger twists again.

"You killed families."

Gregor rips the knife from his leg, bloody dripping onto his knuckles. "Did you kill them like you liked to? Kill the pups in front of their parents? Gutting them? How do you think that would feel, Trexon?"

"No, no, no-! Please, please-!"  
He can't hear anything but a dull roar in his ears as he sticks Trexon with the knife. He can feel the blood coat his hands, accompanied by Trexon's sobs.

"You deserve every second of this," he growls, "You deserve so much worse."

Trexon gurgles something that's lost in translation.

The knife is slippery in Gregor's hand when he pulls it out again.

"This is what _I'm _doing." Gregor whispers, barely heard over Trexon's whimpers. "This is what I'm doing for all those that I killed. This is _our _revenge."

He rips the dagger from Trexons leg, and positions it to slip through his ribs.

"I am not the Warrior anymore. He died with Ares. He died in a hospital bed after _you _ruined me."

"Please, please. Do not do this, do not-"  
He shoves the dagger in, pushing, pushing, until he can feel it pierce his heart.

"You were your own undoing, Trexon." Gregor murmurs.  
Giving the dagger one last shove, Gregor rocks back from Trexon's body, staring blanky at it, his head quiet. The magma in his chest has cooled to a dull throb that slowly subsided the longer he sat there.

It feels like he sits there for hours-unmoving. Until he can hear tapping footsteps, and the torches flicker again once the curtain is flung open. He turns to see Luxa in the doorway, and she runs to him, before looking at the body. She flinches, turning to Gregor, looking horrified.  
"What did you _do _to him?"

Gregor's voice is scratchy when he finally speaks. "What he deserved."

##

Eli bangs his knee against the table when he tries to get up too quickly, eyes widening at what Luxa was telling them. His eyes water, and he grimaces, but ignores it as best he can.  
"Gregor did _what_?"

"He killed Trexon."  
It didn't sound any more believable the second time.

"_How_? No-I-What happened? Weren't you with him?"  
"Ripred was."  
"And Ripred let him do that?" Ben asks quietly, looking sick.

"Apparently so," Luxa says uncomfortably. "Josephix is with him now."

"He's not gonna like-kill anyone else, is he?" Ben asks.

The look Luxa gives him is pure fury. "Do not speak of things you do not understand, _Overlander_."  
Ben shrinks back, looking slightly guilty. "I just...I-"

"He will be fine." Luxa says stiffly. "I only came to inform you about it."

"Uh. Well." Eli starts. "Can we see him then? I feel like this is something we need to talk about. Morally."  
"Josephix has that covered."  
"Does he cover Overland morality?" Ben asks. "Because I have a feeling those are two very different things. You don't exactly seem. Torn up that he killed a human."  
"Trexon was set to be executed regardless. I do not agree with how he was killed, but it has already passed."  
"See! That's fucked up." Ben accuses. "You can't just kill people even if they deserve it in the Overland."  
"Josephix is very good at what he does," Luxa says cooly. "But I suppose you may talk to him. Josephix should be done, I would imagine."

"Luxa, we need to get him out of here. Okay? Like. Today."

Luxa raises an eyebrow.

"Ok, two days. Let's give him two days, alright? And then we need to go, because sometimes I can't tell if this place isn't messing him up _more _rather than helping him."  
"Fine," Luxa says. "Two days."

She looks sad for a moment, before she turns and leaves.

"Gregor?" Ben asks, starting to stand.

Eli nods, and grabs Ben's hand to help him up, before they run from the room.

Gregor's sitting on his bed writing in his notebook when Eli and Ben come skidding in.

"Gregor!"

He looks up, and smiles slightly. "Hey."  
"Uh, there something you want to tell us?" Ben asks. "I dunno-you know-maybe a little something to do with the guy you _murdered_ earlier? What the hell is that about?"  
"Oh." Gregor says, as if he had somehow forgotten. "He deserved it. He did horrible things."  
Eli lets out a long breath, while Ben sputters next to him, seemingly saying something, but it being largely unintelligible.

"Gregor," Eli finally cuts in; his hand on Ben's shoulder effectively shutting him up, "I think you're missing the part of 'you killed another person.' You. I agree he was awful but…"  
Gregor lays back. "I don't really care."  
Ben looks to Eli, eyes wide.

"We're leaving. In two days." Eli says.

Gregor sits up at this. "What? No. We can't leave yet."  
"Gregor," he starts, "We've been down here for a long time. You have to leave eventually. If this is what's gonna happen...I'd rather we left now."  
"But I would never hurt another human! He was the only expectation!"  
Eli shakes his head. "Two days."

##

Two days passed faster than he thought they would. Eli spent most of the rest of his time with Hazard, and the other time with Gregor and Ben or Caerus. He promised Hazard and Caerus that he would be back to visit. He made sure not to promise any time frames-because he didn't want to break any promises to them. But he promised to be back; because that was something he could promise. He knew Gregor spent most of his time with Phobos and Luxa. He knew that they were who he would miss most. It was obvious, even if he denied it. Two days. Not enough time to say goodbye.

Their bags were packed, and they were standing in the High Hall, saying their final goodbyes. Eli gave Hazard a tight hug, mumbling various promises of return to him, just in case he forgot. Ben stuck mostly to Orbona, and Gregor thought at one point he saw him give Ripred a hug. But he couldn't be sure, because then there was Luxa. She smiled, and reached into her pocket, bringing out the small photographs. She hands him one that's just her; smiling at the camera. She must've decided to keep the one of him, then. They had both gotten new ones of both of them together-taken within those short two days. Gregor knew it wouldn't be enough; even with three pictures. But it had to be. Because this was goodbye.

"Luxa."  
"Gregor." She says, her lip wobbling.

He gives her a quick hug, before turning to Phobos, and the others who were waiting by the fliers.

"Fly you high," she says.

"Ready to go?" Eli asks.

Gregor nods, risking a glance back towards Luxa. He can see her blinking hard, but still managing to maintain a smile, as she waves and turns to follow the dispersing crowd.

"Shit."

Eli sighs, rolling his eyes. He accepts the backpack Gregor shoves into his arms, and Gregor turns back to her, starting to run.

"Luxa!"  
She turns, and blinks in surprise, before Gregor stops in front of her.  
"Luxa."

He grabs her hands, desperately trying to ignore that they had an audience; and that she was a _queen_.  
"I love you." he says. "And I know it won't work, but I love you to the moon and the stars and back and I _know,_" he laughs, "That you probably have _no idea _how far that is, but I love you."

She smiles, tilting her head slightly. "And I love you."

And he kisses her.

He hears a "Jesus, _finally_," from what sounds like Ben, but he doesn't much care.

Luxa laughs, squeezing his face in her hands. "Gregor, I will miss you terribly."

He kisses her once more, struggling not to cry.

"I won't forget you." he promises.  
"I would hope not," she says. "You have _three _photographs of me now. And I three of you."  
Gregor laughs, hiccuping slightly. "I have to go."  
"I know."  
"Goodbye."

Goodbye, my Overlander."

##

The walk up to the entrance is quiet. They said their last final goodbyes to their fliers at the entrance to the tunnel, before leaving for good. The tunnel is cold, and they all pull their jackets a little tighter around themselves. When they manage to get the rock moved, the cold air bites bites at their faces-the night air shining dimly with moonlight.

They all climb out, and shove the rock back into place, before standing there. And looking. At the world of skyscrapers and electricity-the entire city buzzing with life even at the late hour.

"Let's go." Gregor finally says.

Eli nods, digging the keys out of his pocket. "We've got a long drive ahead of us. Either of you guys able to drive?"  
"I crashed my moms car into a tree after I made it a couple miles down the road," Ben says.

"Gregor?"  
"I can kinda drive a truck."  
"Alright. Know any good coffee shops around here, Gregor?"  
Gregor smiles. "Yeah. Let's go."

They sit in silence in the parked car for quite a while. Ben eventually slaps his knee, sighing.

"Alright then! Let's get this show on the road, fellas. Nothing like a healthy dose of trauma to spice up our already disastrous lives, but we gotta get a move on."

Eli lets out a shaky laugh, before he glances in the rearview mirror to Gregor, who's got his mouth all mushed up trying not to laugh. At that he bursts into laugher, and Ben giggles nervously.

"What the fuck is _wrong _with us!" Ben laughs.

Gregor snorts, but is smiling when he opens the door to the frigid outside world. "Let's go. They've been waiting long enough."  
"Yeah, yeah." Ben sighs, getting out.

Eli follows them to the door, where there's a light on in the kitchen, even though it's already pretty late.

"Are they still up?" Eli asks.

"I hope they haven't been loosing sleeping or anything…" Gregor mutters, knocking at the door.

"Dude," Ben says, poking his side. "Don't you have a key?"  
"I didn't bring one. Didn't think I'd need it. Guess I was wrong."  
Ben groans, his breath steaming in the air.

But the door opens a moment later, and a tired looking Lizzie greets them. She blinks slowly, taking them in-as if she wasn't quite sure what she was seeing.

"Hey, Lizzie." Gregor finally manages.

Lizzie's eyes fill with tears, and she crushes Gregor into a hug.

He grunts, but returns her hug.  
"Hey, I missed you." He says.

"Lizzie! Who's there?"  
Lizzie releases her hold on Gregor, instead holding on to the corner of his sweatshirt tightly, her hand bunched up in the material.  
"Helen! Helen!" She shouts, voice thick with tears.

"Lizzie, honey what's wrong-oh!"

An older looking woman Gregor recognizes as Eli's mom steps into the hallway. Her eyes first land on Gregor, and then to Eli, and Ben.

"Eli...You're back!"  
"Hey, mom."  
As Helen rushes towards Eli, Gregor hears a panicked, "I'm already meeting his _mom_?" from his side, and he doesn't really have time to figure out why that would be important.

Helen hugs Eli tightly, before letting him go, ushering them inside. "It's cold out. I'll make us hot chocolate. Everyone, hurry in."  
The door shuts behind them with a dull clunk, and then the warmth of the house starts to seep its way into their bones. Gregor manages to kick his boots off before Lizzie drags him away and follows her into the kitchen, where he sees his mom asleep at the counter. He can distantly hear Eli and Ben talking to Helen, though about what he can't make out. Lizzie goes up to Grace, and shakes her shoulder gently.

"Mom. Mom, wake up."  
Grace groans, but her eyes creak open, blurry with sleep. "Lizzie…Gregor...What time-" her eyes widen, and she sits up quickly, turning to Gregor.

"Gregor. Gregor. Oh, my baby-!"

She stumbles slightly getting up from the chair but quickly has him wrapped up in a hug that feels like home.

He hesitates for just a second, before returning the hug, letting his head rest on her shoulder.

"I'm home, mom."


	12. Epilogue

Cade knew that his dad was weird. And not in the way that he just had some weird quirks about him-he was _weird_. But he loved him. He was weird because he was always getting asked out on dates, but he never said yes. Not even once. Cade had overheard some of the ladies in town talking, about how his dad always looked a little sad; and how some people thought he was waiting on a special girl to come back to him. No one ever mentioned the scars that covered his body, but Cade knew everyone thought about them. He did too. He grew up on stories about a hero named 'Gregory' and Cade never said that it was _obvious _his dad meant himself. But he grew up on stories about this hero. On stories about a queen who always fought for what was right, and she was fierce and brave and everything a ruler should be. Stories about a mean old rat who underneath it all cared; and about a bat that had saved the heroes life. They all had good endings-the hero and the queen lived happily ever after, and the evil was defeated. But Cade knew somewhere that that wasn't true. Because he saw his dad looking at an old picture sometimes; and once he had snuck in to look while he was away. It was him-much, much younger-but it was his dad and a girl, and they looked so happy. He had never asked for those stories again.

He knew his dad was weird because apparently it wasn't normal to have swarms of bats living in your attic. And it wasn't normal for them to only sleepily glance at you when you went up into the attic. His dad said that they were friends of a friend. He said once that another friend had taught him to see in the dark, too. And his dad had tried to teach him, but his dad wasn't a great teacher, and Cade wasn't the best learner. He could do it with loud sounds, but he didn't think he would ever get to be as good as his dad-who could walk around in the country dark completely unbothered. He knew that his dad was weird. And Cade knew that out of all the weird things about him, the weirdest thing was that he had adopted Cade. Because he could've had any life he wanted, but he chose the one that had Cade and two dogs (Ares and Phobos-great big German Shepherds that Cade adored) in an inherited farmhouse out in West Virginia. He chose the life that let Uncle Ben and Uncle Eli visit, bringing with them letters that his dad read and then kept locked up in a box. He chose the life that kept pieces of the Underland in it-because eventually Cade found out-and Gregor told him the real stories of the queen and the gnawers and the fliers, and he showed him the photos-the ones he had, as well as the ones that Eli took while they visited. There was a video of a boy named Hazard, who Gregor said was all grown up now. There was also a video of a wedding. The same girl from the photo married another, but Gregor said that it was okay. That they had reached an understanding a long time ago.

Cade didn't press it.

Sometimes Gregor let Cade write his own letter to get taken back to the Underland, and once, Gregor and Cade let Eli take a video of them to bring down to the Underlanders.

So maybe they were all weird. But they were unabashedly happy with the lives that they had chosen.


End file.
